Irish companies have embarked on a trade mission to form partnerships with South African businesses, focussing largely on the ICT, education and financial sectors of the country.<\/p>\n
A trade mission involving 35 companies was organised by Enterprise Ireland<\/a> in close co-operation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria.<\/p>\n In February 2012, Enterprise Ireland opened an office in Johannesburg, which acts as a hub for supporting Irish companies in growing their trade relationships and export sales in South Africa, and in the wider Sub-Saharan African market of over 900 million people.<\/p>\n The three-day mission involved major networking events between SA and Irish businesses, as well as 16 individual company meetings with Irish companies and their South African partners.<\/p>\n Irish companies forged partnerships and contracts with some of South Africa’s biggest ICT players, including JSE-listed ICT solutions company, Jasco<\/a>, and SA’s largest mobile operator, Vodacom<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a highly successful mission both in terms of business secured and in terms of the introductions and connections made. It is tremendously encouraging to see Irish companies winning new business in South Africa,” said Ireland’s minister of trade and development, Joe Costello<\/a>.<\/p>\n “My department, the Embassy Network and Enterprise Ireland are working closely together to ensure that Irish exports to these increasingly important markets continue to grow, in line with the aims of my department\u2019s Africa strategy and the overall government trade strategy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Following the trade mission, the minister is currently leading discussions with the South African government on increasing trade and tourism between the two countries.<\/p>\n Funding boost for SA tech start-ups<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Biggest growth in SA tech companies<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ve cracked Africa model: Vodacom<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n
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