Mathosa on mission to expand in Africa
Trip to Tunisia to grow business
Businesswoman Cornelia Mathosa is on a mission to expand in the north Africa market and create partnerships. Mathosa, a construction businesswoman based in Polokwane, Limpopo, owns a company called Philcom Business Enterprise. Mathosa is one of the business people who recently went to Tunisia as part of the Outward Trade and Investment Mission organised and funded by the department of trade and industry.
The mission, which took place over five days last month, was led by the deputy minister of trade and industry Bulelani Magwanishe. The purpose of the mission was to provide SA companies with a platform to introduce their products and services into the Tunisian market and beyond. Mathosa said the mission was an important opportunity to spread her company’s wings to Tunisia, and probably to other neighbouring countries in north Africa.
She said as a company that harbours ambitions of growing by expanding its market to other countries, especially in Africa, the trip was a worthwhile mission for her.
She said her company also planned to establish a manufacturing plant in Polokwane to produce electrical components and other products that are used in the construction industry.
“We are already having a site ready for the construction of the plant and are in the process of seeking a company that can work with us in the project in a partnership so that we can acquire the necessary machinery,” added Mathosa, whose company, which specialises in electrification work, was established in 2001 and employs 27 people. The mission comprised a trade and investment seminar, business-to-business meetings and site visits. Companies that participated in the mission are operating in the agro-processing, energy, renewable energy, mining and capital equipment, chemicals, infrastructure and construction sectors. The mission is expected to contribute in increasing trade and investment between SA and Tunisia as bilateral trade between the two countries totalled just over R500m in 2017.