The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in partnership with Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) will host the Eastern Cape leg of an awareness workshop on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The workshop will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape on Friday, 23 June 2023 from 09:00.
This is part of a series of workshops that the department is rolling out throughout the country between May and July 2023 to expose stakeholders to export opportunities that are presented by the AfCFTA. The inaugural workshop took place in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in May with businesspeople in attendance welcoming the progress and benefits that the AfCFTA will afford businesses when implemented.
According to the Chief Director of Africa Multilateral Economic Relations at the dtic, Mr Sandile Tyini, the workshop seeks to communicate and engage with the private sector, 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 African region.
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 will also identify companies within the provinces, in the targeted sector masterplans, 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 Chief Executive Officer of ECDC, Mr Ayanda Wakaba, welcomed this initiative, adding that the ECDC, as an economic development, trade and investment promotion agency of the province, is keen to see the Eastern Cape business participating in the workshop and exploiting the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.
“Through this workshop, we can equip the EC business community with critical knowledge to expand their businesses and contribute to economic growth and development in South Africa and across the continent, while stimulating the Eastern Cape economic recovery,” says Wakaba.
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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