A visitor poses for photos with an exhibitor at the South Africa Pavilion during the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Many of the South African companies taking part in the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) have secured some trade and investment opportunities, the South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said Monday.

The seventh CIIE took place in Shanghai, China, from Nov. 5 to 10. The DTIC sponsored 35 companies to take part in the expo and showcase their products.

In a statement issued on Monday, the department said the South African enterprises are confident that the trade leads will soon result in concrete deals.

The CIIE is a platform created to provide an opportunity for companies from all over the world to showcase their production capabilities at the event, but most importantly to potential buyers of goods and services. On display at the South African stands were a variety of products, including wines, jewellery, agricultural and agro-processed products, bags and other services such as engineering, among others, according to the statement.

Siphamandla Kumkani, director of export promotion and marketing at the DTIC who led the South African business delegation to the CIIE, said he is pleased with the results.

"The companies have performed exceedingly well. One of the key features of the CIIE is that one gets an opportunity to meet companies from different regional blocks. Many of our companies have received bankable trade and investment leads," said Kumkani.

"It is our view that the event is getting bigger every year and provides huge business for not only small and medium companies but also emerging exporters," he added.

Abednico Mkhari, founder and director of NTGR Engineering, an award-winning multidisciplinary engineering company in South Africa, said his company signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture with a major Chinese company for the construction of a road in Tanzania.

"We are now finalizing finer details of our agreement," he said. "We are obviously very happy that our participation in the CIIE has enabled our company this significant opportunity."

Garron Arendse, international commercial manager at Rhodes Food Group of South Africa, said participating in the CIIE has allowed his company to find new opportunities for potential expansion into the Chinese markets.

"The interactions at the CIIE allowed us the opportunity to gain knowledge into the Chinese market environment, pricing trends, understanding what is in demand," he said.