A South African company has achieved a significant milestone during an Outward Selling Mission (OSM) to Saudi Arabia by securing a partnership that will grant it access to one of Riyadh’s major supermarket chains.
Minnies Food Enterprise, based in Durban, is among a delegation of South African businesses that have just completed a three-day visit to Riyadh.
The OSM, organised by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), was designed to promote South African value-added products and services in the Saudi Arabian market. The mission aimed to build brand awareness for South African offerings, create connections with potential buyers and importers, and establish strategic partnerships to facilitate trade growth.
Minnies specialises in the manufacture of sauces, condiments, marinade and bastings. The Managing Director of Minnies, Ms Shaazia Kolia, says the partnership has come out of rigorous work and market exposure through various export promotion opportunities to the region. She says they are happy about this outcome which means that their products are already on the shelves of some of the Carrefour Supermarkets in Riyadh.
“We met the buyers at the Gulf Food Expo and held further meetings during this mission. We believe we will secure an even stronger presence on the shelves in the retail space in Riyadh. Partnerships like these require a lot of commitment, dedication and much regular interaction to emerge with a credible and workable business deal. Food is a fashion in this market. The food market is constantly evolving. Saudi does not produce enough food and is continously looking for new products,” she says.
Kolia has encouraged other South African companies to take up opportunities for exploring global markets.
“You need to constantly persevere and push through. Export is not easy and is a constantly changing market so you need to keep up with trends. Prepare, learn, study, be professional in your conduct and be proud of your country which you represent,” she adds.
the dtic supports South African companies in promoting their products and services internationally by providing funding opportunities. This support is primarily available through the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) programme.
Key objectives of the EMIA programme include:
- Providing marketing assistance to help companies enter new export markets and expand in existing ones.
- Assisting with the identification of new export opportunities through market research initiatives.
- Enhancing the competitiveness of South African businesses by supporting activities such as patent registrations, obtaining quality marks, and securing product certifications.
Minnies sauces on the shelves of one of Carrefour supermarkets in Riyadh
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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