Buisnesspeopole in Mpumalanga will get an opportunity to learn more about the export opportunities that are presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This will happen during the Mpumalanga leg of the awareness workshops on the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. The workshop will be hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in partnership with the Mpumalanga Growth Development Agency (Mega) at the Capital Hotel, in Mbombela on Thursday, 15 June 2023 from 09:00.
This will be the fourth in a series of workshops that the department is rolling out throughout the country from May-July 2023. The inaugural workshop took place in KwaZulu-Natal on 25 May 2023. Another was held in Gauteng on Monday last week, while the Limpopo leg took place in Polokwane yesterday. All the workshops received positive reviews from businesspeople who attended the sessions. They welcomed the progress and benefits that the AfCFTA will afford the private sector once implemented.
According to the Chief Director of Africa Multilateral Economic Relations at the dtic, Mr Sandile Tyini, the purpose of the workshops is to communicate and engage with the private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as women- and youth-owned export ready businesses on the status of the implementation of the AfCFTA, including opportunities for South African companies to participate in preferential trade beyond the Southern Africa. The AfCFTA intends to create a large single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately USD3.4 trillion
“These workshops are also aimed at identifying companies, within the provinces, in the targeted sector master plans, as well as other priority sectors that wish to export to the rest of the continent. In addition, the workshops will expose export ready companies to the benefits of exporting under the AfCFTA,” says Tyini.
The AfCFTA offers unlimited opportunities for the South African businesses to expand and diversify their export base and volume beyond traditional export markets in Southern Africa, by exposing them to new markets in across the continent. Emerging producers, SMEs, as well as women and youth entrepreneurs will be able participate and benefit from the opportunities provided by the continental free trade area. Taking advantage of these opportunities offered by the AfCFTA is expected to contribute in increased exports, job creation, economic growth and increase in intra-African trade.
Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Mobile: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za
Issued by: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
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