Saitex focuses on ‘matchmaking’ facility

CLIVE EMDON
INDIA, BRAZIL and Egypt will bring more than 100 exhibitors to this year’s engineering and industrial South African International Trade Exhibition (Saitex) at Midrand on October 10-13. India and Brazil are official partners in Saitex this year. Brazil, with 30 exhibitors, will focus on the furniture industry while India’s 40 exhibitors will be mainly engineering companies, business development director, Pierre Potgieter told journalists last week. In addition Brazil will bring a 15-peson trade mission to the event. Egypt is expected to provide 40-50 exhibitors mainly from construction materials companies and ceramics groups. A total of 600 exhibitors is expected this year. ‘Matchmaking’ of potential business and trade partners will be a new feature of this year’s exhibition, with countries hosting special breakfasts and exhibition days. Saitex is profiling both exhibitors and visitors as part of its pre-exhibition planning for the ’matchmaking’. Manufacturing South Africa (Mansa) will run its exhibition in parallel with Saitex this year, featuring light engineering, beneficiation of raw materials and manufacturing technology companies.