SA companies find trade opportunities in DRC

South African companies taking part in an investment and trade initiative (ITI) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have identified several business opportunities in various sectors in Lubumbashi, the trade and industry department (dti) said in a statement on Sunday.

The companies had been in the DRC since last Sunday and participated in business seminars, business-to-business meetings, mini-exhibitions, sector round tables, and visits to different sites.

The delegation visited African Milling in Lubumbashi – a milling company which produces maize meal for Katanga province, the dti said.

“The plant, which has been operating since March 2015 and employs local contractors of a maximum of 250 workers, depending on the operation as their produce is seasonal, processes and packages 360 tons of maize a day to supply to the different retailers in Lubumbashi and the region.”

According to Virginia Morule, managing director of Agro Tractor which assembles tractors and supplies agro-processing equipment from Johannesburg, African Milling was one of the potential clients who could be supplied with machinery and equipment for planting and storage.

“There are so many opportunities available here which, as an agricultural company, we could tap into, such as providing training for the farmers which will enable them to produce high quality maize in the process of skills transfer,” said Morule.

She would discuss with the company how they could work together to ensure that the supply to the market was increased, as the current supply was still very low to meet the needs of the population, and to increase employment.

Business developer and director of Glow Africa, Ntsako Garrine, who visited Luano City, a development within Lubumbashi, said the development would provide a lot of opportunities for companies in the build environment. The development, which is being built on 220 hectares of land, would include a shopping mall, industrial park, and residential area.

“I have noticed that a lot of material can be supplied by South African companies here, particularly steel and cement, at a much cheaper rate than is being currently supplied. The department of trade and industry has built the bridge for us, it is now up to us to cross it,” said Garrine.

(File photo: Gallo Images)