Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is setting up India Pavilion at the Food and Drink Technology Africa 2018 trade show being organized at Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa from 4-6 September 2018. The India Pavilion is part of TPCI’s efforts to promote India’s trade related to the food and beverages industry globally and with a special focus on Africa.

Food & Drink Technology Africa (FDT-Africa) – held biennially in Johannesburg – is the premier beverage and food event in Southern Africa, tailored to promote the specific needs of the market. The trade show covers the entire value chain related to the food and beverages industry and offers solutions to the challenges and demands of the market in Southern Africa.

TPCI is taking a business delegation of 42 Indian businessmen related to food and beverages industry to showcase their products and services in FDT-Africa. High Commission of India in Pretoria and Consulate General of India in Johannesburg are providing their support and cooperation to ensure that the India Pavilion is a success and the Indian businessmen participating in the show get good business. 

Mohit Singla, Chairman, TPCI has said that along with Department of Commerce, Government of India, TPCI will be participating in similar events in Turkey, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Spain in the coming months.

Indian companies participating in FDT-Africa are displaying a wide range of world-class Indian food & beverage and will provide a platform for them to explore export opportunities, joint ventures, technology transfers and marketing tie-ups with their counterparts not only from South Africa but also from other South African countries like Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.

There is a great scope for trade in food & beverage sector with South Africa, as India exports only US$173 million of food & beverage items to South Africa out of the US$5740 million worth of the items that South Africa imports from the world. This export includes US$74.5 million worth of semi-milled or wholly-milled rice but even in this case, there is scope for more as South Africa’s total rice import is worth US$451.3 million. Other major items currently being exported to South Africa include groundnuts, fruits of genus capsicum or of the genus pimenta, roasted chicory and other roasted coffee substitutes, frozen shrimps and prawns, sweet biscuits, turmeric, cane or beet sugar (in solid form), spices, castor oil, dried onions, coriander seeds and fresh or dried cashew nuts.

A recent development is that Indian PET, packaging and bottling companies are aiming to enter Southern African market in a big way. Several companies from these fields are participating in FDT-Africa and thus we may look forward to a situation where a chips packet sold in Zimbabwe, a water or milk jar sold in Namibia or paint, edible oil, food or any similar packaged item on a shop counter in South Africa will have the India connection – either because of packaging sourced from Indian manufacturers or machines purchased from Indian manufacturers.

(With inputs from PIB)