Product branding is also an essential success ingredient
THE BUSINESS sector needs to build a stronger relationship with the department of trade and industry, and to build greater confidence in forming its own unique brands and images, says Faizel Ismail, DTI's chief director export and investment promotion.
Addressing the Institute of Export's graduation ceremony at Johannesburg's Inanda Club recently, he said:
"For South Africa to be successful in increasing exports it is essential to have a very strong partnership between industry and government.
"International trade involves rules. The world trade negotiations in Seattle indicate that global trade rules will seep into almost every area of economic life. They will affect environmental issues, labour standards, copyrights and intellectual property rights.
"The DTI has the infrastructure, the market intelligence and the network to provide the necessary assistance to business. Export marketers will need to work closely with government to be successful in the increasingly complicated international trade arena."
Ismail stressed the need to add value to South African products. Around the world, he said, companies create an image through their brands, but South African companies often lack confidence in forming their own unique images and brands.
"We need to develop a unique cultural identity and use it as a base to infuse excitement and interest in our products, whether they be jewellery, wine or consumer goods.
"It is also essential to build strategic alliances with our key trading partners. The world economy is dominated by bilateral trading alliances which are the key means to facilitate trade. The more trade takes place, the more disputes arise, and the greater the need for good trade relations. Once established these relations can be utilised as platforms to facilitate exports," he said.
The DTI has undertaken to establish free trade agreements within southern Africa, while building a strategic alliance with the European Union was also essential, he said.
By Leonard Neill
Copyright Now Media (Pty) Ltd
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