Business Talk – FedEx’s Leon Bruwer explains how the AfCFTA will transform South African SMEs
In this Business Talk with Michael Avery interview, Leon Bruwer discusses how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will offer new advantages to South African SMEs.
Bruwer is the managing director Sales, Sub-Saharan Africa at FedEx, a role he has held since November 2024. Before holding this role, he worked as the Head of Key Accounts SA for Savino Del Bene.
He is a veteran of the retail industry, having held multiple other notable roles at various companies.
These include:
- Commercial Executive – Heneways Freight Services (Pty) Ltd.
- Director Ocean Freight South Africa – DB Schenker
- Ocean Product and Century Accounts Manager SA – CEVA Logistics
- Sales Manager and National Commodities Manager – Safmarine
- Global Account Manager – BAX Global
- Branch Sales Manager – TNT
Across all these roles, Bruwer has built a comprehensive portfolio of skills and knowledge, which he now uses to execute his duties as the Managing Director SSA at FedEx.
The interview
In this Business Talk interview, Bruwer explains what the AfCFTA is and the key economic factors that make it a meaningful method of unlocking the continent’s full potential.
He outlines the success that AfCFTA has seen and the opportunities that South African SMEs could enjoy should it be instituted.
Bruwer then touches on how SMEs without dedicated export teams or regional networks maximise the value offered by the AfCFTA and avoid fraud and payment issues in an unfamiliar market.
He concludes the interview by sharing the key actions he believes governments can take to enable a smooth implementation of the AfCFTA.
You can watch the interview with Leon Bruwer below.
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