2 nd Annual South African International Trade & Investment Conference and Exhibition

 DATES: 30-31 October 2008

VENUE: International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

 ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Trade & Investment South Africa and the Provincial Investment Promotion Agencies will be hosting the second annual South African International Trade & Investment Conference and Exhibition from the 30 – 31 October 2008 to be held at the International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.

The Department of Trade & Industry and the Provincial Investment Promotion Agencies around South Africa have selected the beautiful Western Cape province as the venue to host this international event.

The event will provide an unsurpassed opportunity for South African and international organizations to forge relationships and form business linkages with key players and decision makers in the various sectors globally.

The conference, exhibition and business matching meetings will present South Africa as a premier investment destination and a leader in export trade. Flagship projects, products and services produced locally, from around South Africa will be presented, highlighting the great opportunities not only for investing in the various provinces and sectors but also showcasing the vast export potential of the region.

ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA

 South Africa is one of the world’s top business destinations and is strongly supported by a well developed infrastructure, equipped with every convenience and high levels of service expected by visitors and delegates.

South Africa ’s expertise in hosting large scale conferences and events is firmly established. Events attracting international interest such as the World Economic Forum (Africa), Soccerex, Tourism Indaba, African Renaissance, A1 Grand Prix and many others give a new impetus to the positioning of South Africa as a truly international destination. South Africa will be hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup. South Africa is a must visit destination for any serious investor or trade from anywhere in the world.

As the biggest economy in Africa, South Africa provides the key platform for investment into Africa and the strategic access point for the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean markets. Since Africa is the world’s last unexploited market, foreign business can find much interest here, with South Africa as the starting point. This is not least because South African businesses have seized the moment to become the biggest single investor in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa is open for business and South Africa is leading the way.

 PROGRAM OVERVIEW

 Trade and Investment Conference (30 October 2008)

The conference will entail plenary sessions and breakaway sector sessions. Content for business presentations will be based on practical business opportunities, funding, trade agreements and incentive schemes. Packaged projects from municipalities around South Africa will be presented. The focus will be on ensuring investors will be able to access the projects.

The conference will incorporate sector breakaway sessions. These will be smaller focused sessions looking at specific sector investment opportunities and will include speakers representing government, academic and private sector business.

Trade and Investment Exhibition (30 October 2008)

 The exhibition will provide attendees opportunities to meet companies and government agencies, to view their products, services and investment projects at individual exhibition stands. This will afford attendees and exhibitors the opportunity to secure business and developmental opportunities, build partnerships and facilitate collaborative networks.

Business Matching Meetings (31 October 2008)

The aim of business matching meetings is to ensure that relevant international businesses are matched with local business. The business matching one-on-one meetings will follow the interactions at the conference and exhibition. This will ensure ease of access for those delegates attending the conference who are keen to meet specific company representatives for detailed discussions.

All one-on-one meetings will be pre-booked and pre-scheduled to ensure a smooth flow of the consultations between established business and partners.

 KEY SECTORS

South Africa has scenic beauty, it is rich with natural resources, has a dynamic manufacturing sector, a strong financial services sectors backed by a sound regulatory and legal framework, a growing economy and many other attributes which would encourage international investment. To this end, key sectors for the event have been identified encompassing a broad sector base each offering phenomenal growth potential.

• Energy
• Tourism
• Financial Services
• General manufacturing including beneficiation

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

The event will draw representation from both local and international business sectors and governments.

• Business / Private Sector representatives
• Investors
• Exporters
• Foreign importers
• Department of Trade & Industry foreign economic representatives
• Diplomatic community
• Academics
• Chambers of Commerce and Industry
• Foreign government departments and agencies
• National and Provincial government departments
• District and local municipalities
• Media

FOR INFORMATION TO ATTEND, PLEASE CONTACT

Jennifer Cheong
Marketing Officer: Trade and Investment
Tel: (202) 274-7975
Fax:(202) 966-5919
Email: dti@saembassy.org