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MBABANE – EIPA Manager External Trade Promotion Sibusiso Mnisi says they identified potential opportunities to take advantage of the proximity of Eswatini to Mozambique to supply products such as beef, poultry, pork and sugar.
“Therefore, we need to revive structures such as the Eswatini Mozambique Joint Bilateral Commission to escalate issues that are affecting trade and investment between the two countries,” Mnisi said.
Mnisi was speaking during the first interchange visit that was undertaken in Mozambique. It consisted of visits to the Agency for Promotion Investments and Exports (APIEX), Eurocam – Association of European Entrepreneurs in Mozambique, Mozambique Chamber Association, Mozambique Handicraft market, poultry/piggery/ beef association and major chain stores including Premier Super Spar and Limak Cimentos SA.
The European Union (EU) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA), are facilitating interchange visits with other regional investment promotion bodies and Chambers of Commerce to learn and exchange knowledge on how best to take advantage of the SADC-EUEPA.
Discussed
On the issue of the language barrier, since Mozambique uses Portuguese as its official language, Mnisi disclosed that this issue was discussed during the meeting at the Eswatini High Commission in Mozambique. “It was agreed that to address challenges such as the language barrier between local entrepreneurs and their Mozambican counterparts, there is a need for local merchants to learn Portuguese or use available interpreters, like the High Commission of Eswatini in Mozambique interpreters.”
The Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (Associação de Pequenas e Médias Empresas de Moçambique -APME) lamented the issue of not working with Eswatini despite its proximity to Mozambique. The association is the mother body for all MSMEs in Mozambique. It boasts outstanding performance, with an impressive growth of topline business results compared to the previous year.
During this period, Finsure Assurance paid out E3 million in claims, further highlighting the company’s over 1 000 members from 10 provinces who are in over 25 sectors including mining, agriculture, tourism, transport and informal traders.
They disclosed that they are open to the idea of signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with local associations.
The Agency for Promotion of Investment and Exports (APIEX) also revealed that they are open to signing an MoU with EIPA to exchange information on trade and investment promotion and they are open to importing products such as beef from Eswatini.
Committed
They further invited Eswatini to participate at the 2024 Trade Fair and Agricultural Exhibition in Mozambique (FACIM) and further committed to participate in the Eswatini International Trade Fair (EITF) 2024.
APIEX also assured EIPA that they will assist them in establishing contacts for major importers or distributors in Mozambique.
The Association of European Entrepreneurs in Mozambique (Eurocam) which is the major organizer of the Mozambique – EU Global Gateway Forum extended an invitation to Eswatini to attend their 2024 event. The EU is the second largest trading partner for Mozambique. There are over 300 companies in various sectors from 11 EU countries that are affiliated to the Eurocam.
The Dubai Chamber of Commerce expressed their willingness to introduce Eswatini to the halal market in Mozambique. They also extended an invitation for Eswatini to join their inward and outward trade mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Mnisi said they also identified potential opportunities to export products such as dairy, beef, eggs, fruits, and vegetables to Premier Super Spar which operates four outlets combined with a DIY hardware in Maputo; scrap metals to DP World Maputo which is part of DP World’s global network that spans 69 countries; animal feed and packaging products to informal traders in Mozambique through the Informal Traders Association; and pork through Nala Continental Foods.
Distribution
“Tropigalia, a distribution company in Maputo that sources products from Europe and South Africa disclosed that they are looking for distributors they can work with in Eswatini. Infrapesca, a fisheries company based in the Maputo harbor said they are open for Eswatini companies looking to enter the ocean fishing sector by being fishers. They also revealed that they have cold storage facilities they own, which can be leased to local companies. Limak Cimentos SA, a company with a Turkish background based in Matola which is involved in the production of cement, construction, food and beverage, energy and aviation divulged that they are looking to improve their supply of cement in Eswatini,” he said.