JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Trade and Industry will lead a delegation of 38 agro-processing companies to explore new markets at the 27th edition of the Salon International de l’alimentation (SIAL) International Food Exhibition taking place in Paris, France next week.
The South African companies that will be showcasing their products and services in Paris are supported by the dti through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme that was established for purposes of developing export markets for South African products and services, and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country.
SIAL is the world’s largest food products exhibition to be held this year. It is the global showcase for the food industry with unrivalled geographic coverage of Europe and the rest of the world which specialises in the food processing industry. The trade show is dedicated to the agri-food industry, food retail, and institutional and commercial catering.
Rob Davies, minister of trade and industry, said companies forming the South African delegation have seasoned expertise within the food sector and range in size from established food processors, small, micro and medium enterprises and emerging exporters.
"The SIAL brand of exhibitions has since given rise to six other trade fairs that have a presence in China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Brazil and the Philippines. It was obligatory that we assemble our best agro-processing companies to participate at this exhibition so that we can establish a footprint within these potential markets," Davies said.
SIAL Paris is expected to be a bigger source of inspiration than ever for the world’s food industry. 7 020 companies from more than a hundred countries will be presenting their products to retail and foodservice professionals. All manner of food products, from ingredients through equipment to end products, will be on show across 21 exhibition sectors.