Kimberley woman showcases her goods at international fair

A KIMBERLEY-based Northern Cape businesswoman, Elizabeth van Zyl, is one of 25 South African businesses showcasing their products and services in the Maputo International Trade Fair (Facim) which takes place from August 29 to September 4.

Department of Trade and Industry (dti) spokesman, Sidwell Medupe, said that Facim was a popular international multi-sectoral trade fair held annually to showcase Mozambique as an attractive destination for trade and investment.

“Last year the trade fair attracted 680 foreign companies from 31 countries.”

The participation of companies in the exhibition is funded by the department through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme.

The purpose of the scheme is to assist local companies to contribute in increasing exports of the South African manufactured goods to various parts of the world.

“The positive impact of the SA companies opening markets in other countries and exporting their products and services there is that their production will increase, thereby requiring more labour and creating employment for many people in the process,” Medupe said.

Van Zyl, who is a 43-year-old mother of three and employs four people in her company, said that she participated in Facim for the first time last year and was impressed by the positive response that her range of products received from the exhibition visitors.

Positive

“All our stock, including the couch made of Nguni cow skin was sold out.

“We are positive that this year we will not only sell the products we have taken there but will also get orders which will enable us to produce more goods and export them to the Mozambican market,” she said.

Her company’s range of products include Nguni, zebra, springbok and Big 5 leather and skin couches, cushions, carpets, bedspreads and handbags.

According to Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, Facim exposes South African companies to trade and investment opportunities available in Mozambique and other countries participating in the exhibition.

“The dti is striving to facilitate economic development through promoting outward investment, intra-Africa trade, regional industrialisation and infrastructure development within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and the rest of Africa.

“Facim is a good platform to promote South African manufactured products in the Mozambican market and beyond.”

The minister added that one of the department’s strategic goals was to grow the South African manufacturing sector.

This is in order to promote industrial development, job creation, investment and exports, he said.