The successful hosting of the Southern Africa Regional Exporter Awards bodes very well for South Africa because they assist in identifying and resolving enterprise constraints to implement sustainable solutions through market-based and investment facilitation services. This was said by the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ms Nomalungelo Gina during the second Southern Africa Regional Exporter Awards ceremony which took place in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape this week.
The Awards are a collaboration between the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (USAID TradeHub) to reward and recognise export companies that have excelled in accelerating economic growth through increasing and accelerating trade within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Gina expressed excitement that USAID TradeHub had collaborated with market actors in identifying and resolving enterprise constraints so that sustainable solutions through market-based and investment facilitation services could be implemented.
“In this regard, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) commends the role that USAID TradeHub is playing for our trade companies involved in exports in our region. Currently, the USAID TradeHub actively engages with nine Southern African countries to increase sustainable growth, to increase export effectiveness and to increase trade within these countries,” she said.
Gina also expressed confidence that the Southern Africa region would recover steadily against global shocks whose negative economic impact is still felt today.
“The biggest opportunity for the SADC companies engaged in export markets is the penetration of the African continent. I am quite aware of the difficulties in exporting to various regions within the continent because of the poor road and rail infrastructure, including border challenges which are compounded by political instability. The existence of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement compels us to have a fresher look at working together to increase intra-African trade and investment,” said Gina.
The Southern Africa Regional Exporter Awards are also targeted at the awakening of export potential within Southern Africa through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which has over the years provided new market opportunities by eliminating barriers to US Trade and Investment and adopting policies geared toward poverty reduction, protection of human rights, and suppression of corruption and protection of intellectual property rights.
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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