China Comes to Africa

By Staff Writer

JOHANNESBURG--- The South African business and development sectors have many positive plans. This is encouraging news, but a plan without action and, more importantly, without an investor, remains cheap talk.

Bring in China , and this all changes. And the 2011 IMEXPO trade  and investment forum  is here to prove this. From 18 – 20 May 2011, the exhibition aims to ‘break through trade and investment bottlenecks and highlight the mutual benefits that flow from investment co-operation.’

 This will be the first time that China, the SADC, and South African investment agencies are being brought together, under one roof, to talk shop, and trade. With China standing as the leading, major trading partner with the SADC, it makes sense to bring in this heavyweight as a key investor in South Africa ’s infrastructural development.

 ‘With regards the global market place, China is the only country that can currently invest in the infrastructural development of South Africa ’, states Glenn Hawes, Joint CEO of IMEXPO.

 Many SADC companies are looking for multi-million dollar investors. By using China as the investor, not only will monetary needs be satisfied, but the contracts will include the use of local labor, equipment and services. This will satisfy more than just the once-off investment need.

‘This will lead to technology transfer, skills development and technical infusion’, claims Mudunwazi Baloyi, General Manager of The Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA).

 The exhibition will provide the opportunity for companies to showcase their products and services and identify new markets. Companies will secure and promote export and investment opportunities, and grow business relations between China and the SADC region.

This is just the beginning: ultimately, the aim is to follow up this initial SADC-China contact with a more expansive forum, eventually extending participation to non-SADC countries. This symbiotic relationship is one that can greatly benefit the developing world and its plans to better its overall infrastructure.

IMEXPO takes place at the MTN Expo Centre, Johannesburg and provides an Exhibition, Investment Conference and Business to Business Networking sessions (sponsored by Standard Bank) .