The Department has used virtual marketing tools to support local businesses to access export markets, in addition to more traditional means.
These included the following:
1. Trade Seminars
The department hosted thirteen (13) virtual trade seminars and business engagements with local and international partners.
2. Trade leads to businesses
It provided 122 trade leads to businesses.
To date, the Department through South African Embassies and Consulates has received and disseminated 122 trade leads linked to export opportunities in 34 territories, including China, Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Singapore, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Mauritius, France, USA, Thailand, Argentina and Zimbabwe
3. Assistance with market access
It assisted companies with two 2 market access interventions in terms of product certification in key markets.
4. Export training programmes
As part of growing and diversifying the exporter base, the department provided thirty (30) exporter awareness and capacity building sessions
City/Town |
Province |
GEPP Training Phase 1 |
GEPP Training Phase 2 |
GEPP Training Phase 3 |
Trained companies per city/town |
Port Elizabeth |
Eastern Cape |
18 |
15 |
13 |
46 |
East London |
9 |
9 |
|||
Mbombela |
Mpumalanga |
5 |
5 |
||
Virtual Training (1) |
National |
11 |
18 |
29 |
|
Virtual Training (2) |
32 |
15 |
25 |
72 |
|
Tshwane |
Gauteng |
16 |
15 |
31 |
|
JHB Sandton |
11 |
8 |
19 |
||
JHB Constitution Hill |
13 |
9 |
6 |
28 |
|
Tzaneen |
Limpopo |
11 |
11 |
||
Durban |
KwaZulu-Natal |
11 |
9 |
20 |
|
Totals |
63 |
88 |
119 |
270 |
Province |
City/Town |
Persons |
Date Of Seminar |
Platform |
1 January 2021 – 30 March 2021 |
|
|||
None |
||||
1 April 2021 – 30 June 2021 |
||||
Gauteng |
Alexandra |
20 |
06-04-2021 |
Physical |
Midrand |
23 |
21-04-2021 |
Virtual |
|
Johannesburg |
17 |
09-06-2021 |
Physical |
|
Johannesburg |
35 |
21-06-2021 |
Physical |
|
Limpopo |
Thohoyandou |
9 |
26-05-2021 |
Physical |
Giyani |
7 |
27-05-2021 |
||
Polokwane |
11 |
28-05-2021 |
||
Northern Cape |
Kimberley |
11 |
26-06-2021 |
Virtual |
1 July 2021 – Current |
|
|||
Gauteng |
Johannesburg |
37 |
09-07-2021 |
Virtual |
Mpumalanga |
Ermelo |
48 |
28-07-2021 |
Virtual |
TOTAL |
224 |
5. Incubation programmes
The Department coordinated an incubation programme for women entrepreneurs.
The Department has an agreement with the German Ministry and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to collaborate on capacitating South African companies that wishes to do business in Germany with adequate understanding of the market and business culture. The programme is executed in a form of mentorship and incubation by German companies and is designed to assist companies to develop an in-depth knowledge of international trade, using access to the German market as a case the study.
So far in 2021, the programme has benefitted 65 South African companies (44 of which are women-owned) from the following provinces:
The continuing Covid-19 pandemic compelled the programme to be facilitated virtually for a period of 8 weeks. The total of 65 companies were divided into three groups which received training on the following dates:
6. Export marketing assistance
The Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) funding rules were revised to support South African companies to also participate in virtual exhibitions and missions.
In addition to the existing EMIA support measures, the following support measures were approved for virtual exhibitions and missions:
7. Unblocking obstacles for investors
Invest SA assisted with the following:
8. Sector support
The following are highlights of the assistance to local businesses in Footwear & Leather Goods sector through South African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) to access the export markets since 1 January 2021:
The exports Footwear & Leather exports by value to Middle East increased from R 1.5m value to over R 14 million, to USA by 20% and to UK by 6%. New Markets accessed in Poland, Rumania and Russia brought additional R 1.2m export revenue. Setting up of a New Virtual Show room on SAFLEC website and development of New Virtual Trade Platforms. Launch of new virtual platform for Trade promotion. Addition of 10 more companies to SAFLEC virtual show room. Conversion of 31 companies to virtual platform. This resulted in an increase in exports by 63% in comparison to the 2020 exports largely affected by Covid-19.
Due to the restriction on physical trade promotion resulting from COVID, SAFLEC continues to prioritize Africa, Europe, America’s as well as Australia as markets for South African footwear through virtual platforms to retain the awareness of South African manufacturers. Africa was prioritized as the low hanging fruit. Asia and Europe markets are looked at for Handbags and Leather Goods.
9. Industrial funding and support
The Industrial Financing Branch (IFB) has taken the following actions over the last few months to assist South African exporters:
In addition. To the above, there are a number of projects supported y the NEF, IDC and ECIC which assist SA-based companies to increase their exports to the rest of the continent. To illustrate this, the ECIC is providing support to SA companies linked to the Amandi Rail Ghana and Amandi Hospital Ghana projects. This includes exports by Macsteel an SA supplier on the project. The involvement of Macsteel in this Project will advance the objectives of the Steel Master Plan of the dtic. The exports sourced from the South African exporters will have an impact on the South African economy.
10. Regulator efforts
The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) issues permits for exports of Covid-related products. This included
ITAC assists SA exports by issuing rebate and drawback certificates based on the value of imported inputs to final export products. The main users are the agriculture and agro--processing, clothing and textiles, chemicals and plastics, and metals and machinery industries.
Rebate item 470.03 provides for rebate of customs duty upon importation of components and materials specified in the permits and are intended for use in the manufacture, processing, finishing, equipping or packing of goods exclusively for export:
Drawback item 521.00 provides for drawback of customs duty that was paid on imported components and materials used in the manufacture, processing, finishing, equipping or packing of goods already exported:
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