‘Room to grow our exports’

Growing South African
exports remains a key
target for the Department
of Trade and Industry
(dti), according to Dr
Brendan Vickers, the dti’s
chief director, trade policy
and research.
“From a development
and growth perspective
it remains extremely
important to increase
exporting – and while
South Africa’s export
performance is ahead of
the likes of Argentina
and Israel, we are
nowhere in the region
of a China or USA,”
he told exporters at a
Johannesburg Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
(JCCI) workshop recently.
“There is much room to
grow our exports while
at the same time also
diversifying our export
partners. The world
economic crisis showed
that over-dependence
on one economy can be
dangerous.”