South Africa should be a target market for firms from across Coventry and Warwickshire.
That’s the advice from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce ahead of an event later this month with an expert in South African trade.
Melissa Else has been working in the UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) South Africa office for the past three years and has developed a vast knowledge of the country and its economy.
She will be presenting to firms between 9am and 10am on Friday, August 30 and then will offer one-to-one, 20 minute bookable slots throughout the day up to 4pm.
The event is ahead of a market visit to Cape Town and Johannesburg in October, which is being led by Ajay Desai of the Chamber’s UKTI international trade team.
He said: “There is huge potential for trade with South Africa and the interest in the market is gathering pace – it’s vital that firms from Coventry and Warwickshire understand how to tap into it.
“The event on August 30 will give companies a taste of what they can expect and then our trip in the autumn will offer very real business opportunities to firms.”
He added: “There are many reasons why South Africa can offer strong trade links to the UK.
“Firstly, there is no language barrier and that is always a positive – especially for those who might not be so experienced on the international trade scene.
“Secondly, their time zone is similar – therefore you don’t need to be making calls at 2am to try to sort out a business deal!
“Further to that, South Africa has opposite seasonal patterns to the UK so if your business is seasonal – it could be the perfect opportunity to make it work the whole year round.
“Finally, and this isn’t only true for South Africa but for most nations around the world, they have great respect for the UK and for British business.
“If a product is coming from the UK it is perceived to have great design and to be of high quality. They also like our qualities of integrity and fair play.”