The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and a delegation of South African mining professionals arrived in South America this week to promote their products to companies in the region.
The two-week outward selling mission (OSM) to Chile and Peru is intended to expose companies to unexplored export opportunities.
Organised and funded by the dti through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (Emia) Scheme, the OSM will include a trade and investment seminar, business-to-business meetings, and site visits in the targeted sectors of capital mining equipment and mining services in South America.
“The mission will afford the business delegation the opportunity to introduce their products directly to their target market and key industry players including importers, distributors and the mining industry as a whole,” said Fikile Majola, deputy minister of trade and industry.
He said last year’s OSM to Peru had concluded with 84 positive trade leads and R880 270 in on-the-spot export sales.
“South African mining companies have made inroads into the Chilean and Peruvian markets, with select capital mining equipment products and mining services being marketed by companies with a strategic and long-term perspective of both markets, which have been able to penetrate and unlock long-term and sustainable exports,” adds Majola.
“Chile’s open-market oriented and trade friendly environment has been particularly attractive to investors because of its upward economic growth pattern, established banking sector, relatively transparent regulatory environment and political stability,” Majola concluded.
