Western Cape exporters make their mark in Africa

WESTERN CAPE companies notched up R7.7bn in export revenues to Africa last year, thanks in part to a concerted trade promotion drive by the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency (Wesgro). Representatives from some 40 companies a year join the organisation’s dedicated trade missions to Nigeria, Ghana, Angola and Cameroon, according to Africa desk manager Michael Gamwo. He believes that the development of a Western African Trade Corridor launched two years ago by Wesgro has added impetus to the growth. Trade with Ghana has been the most successful to date, says Gamwo, and this includes wine, IT software, robot traffic systems and engineering machinery. In Nigeria, Angola and Cameroon opportunities lie in the oil and gas services sector, communication technologies and services and engineering equipment. Nigerian companies in particular seek out joint-ventures with companies providing oil and gas technologies to give them a competitive edge with tenders, says Gamwo. “We facilitate interaction with companies in West Africa to set up agreements on partnerships or agencies and second sets of meetings. We don’t control that process.” Gamwo also arranges ‘inward’ trade missions of African businessmen and women to South Africa twice a month, setting up meetings with businesses in the same sector. He sees opportunities in the oil and gas industry, ship repairs, construction, property development and the IT sector. “There is also big demand for consumer goods and fruit juice from South Africa,” he added.