Finance and Economic Opportunities

1. 1. 1. (a) Which department and/or entity will take the lead in these virtual trade missions?

Wesgro.

(b) What products are being earmarked for exports?

A priority list of current export commodities is supported as well as emerging opportunities as the demand profile shifts globally.

The Export Promotion Priority Sectors include:

1. 1. agriculture, agro-processing, agribusiness, furniture;
   2. manufacturing and value-added products;
   3. green industries;
   4. cosmetics, natural ingredients, organic;
   5. services;
   6. clothing, textiles, leather, footwear;
   7. boatbuilding and auxiliary services;
   8. health tech and medicinal cannabis;
   1. aerospace and defence.

(c) What are the relevant details, including which countries in (i) Africa, (ii) Europe and (iii) North America will be approached for trade deals;

Priority markets for each region are based on export flows, export opportunities, international relationships and international trade agreements in place.  The priority markets are:

• Africa: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Uganda, Morocco, Egypt, Guinea 
• Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy
• Americas: USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico

Responses to priority markets also include: (1) the international trade agreements, under which the Western Cape Government works to promote trade; and (2) any other cooperation agreements or MOUs of symbolic nature which the Western Cape Government or its international trade promotion agency have entered into. This includes the following relevant agreements:

2. Whether his Department has secured any trade deals to date through virtual trade missions; if so, what are the relevant details?

Yes, trade deals have been concluded from the virtual missions which took place in the last financial year. During the period (April 2020 to March 2021), a total of 17 export trade deals were concluded from virtual missions only. This was to the value of R502 527 000. The details of these trade declarations are reflected in table 1 below.

TABLE 1: TRADE DECLARATIONS (VIRTUAL MISSIONS – APRIL 2020 TO MARCH 2021)