PORT ELIZABETH - A delegation of South African exporters heads to the Outward Selling Mission (OSM) in Sweden on Saturday in search of markets for South African natural and organic products, as well as for processed foods, drinks and cosmetics, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) said in a statement on Friday.
The OSM that will take place in Malmo, Sweden, from November 12 to November 16, is organised by the dti in partnership with the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency (Wesgro) and the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO).
Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, says that the mission will promote exports of South Africa's natural and organic products and that the companies will showcase their goods and services at the Natural Products Scandinavia Show, also in Malmo.
“The trade mission is part of the dti’s efforts to achieve its objective of creating market access for South African products and services in markets with high export potential," Davies said.
"We have particularly selected a group of exporters of natural and organically certified ingredients, processed foods, drinks and cosmetic products in alignment with the department’s market and product diversification strategy.”
The dti said that the programme included a business seminar, business-to-business meetings and site visits.
"The Natural Products Scandinavia Show is combined with the Nordic Organic Food Fair which is the leading organic food and drink trade show in the Nordic region," the dti said.
"Last year, Natural Products Scandinavia attracted more than 480 exhibitors from 40 countries and more than 4,000 visitors from 60 countries."
This gives the companies participating access to key trade buyers from leading health stores, supermarket chains, distributors, importers and exporters, among others, opening up an enormous market for their products, the dti said.
Davies also said that in the "long term the mission is expected to contribute in addressing the trade imbalance which has always been heavily skewed in favour of Sweden".
South Africa’s exports to Sweden amounted to more than R2.4 billion in 2017 while imports from the Nordic country totaled over R12 billion in the same period the dti said.
- African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Lindiz van Zilla