PRESS OFFICE: Exhibition Management Services

As part of its Growth and Development Strategy 2040, the City of Joburg (CoJ) is once again backing this year’s Southern African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) – the biggest business opportunities expo on the continent. The three-day mega-event hosts over 1,000 exhibitors from 44 countries, displaying over 3,500 products and services, at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, from 21 – 23 June 2015.

“This is the third successive year that the City of Joburg has backed SAITEX as it continues to deliver solid business results for exhibitors,” says Reginald Pholo, Director of Trade and Investment at the CoJ. “Last year the City and its exhibitors generated business worth more than R700-million, and SAITEX itself made R79-million worth of business. Joburg exhibitors now have a strong foothold in Southern African markets due to this dynamic business platform.”

22 years of business success

Established 22 years ago, SAITEX has an impressive track record for linking business owners with new customers, expanding business networks, providing countless qualified sales leads and delivering many successful business deals.

“Over 16 000 traders, entrepreneurs, distributors, wholesalers, decision-makers and business owners attend SAITEX every year,” says John Thomson of Exhibition Management Services, the organisers of SAITEX. “Worldwide interest in doing business in Africa is stronger than ever, and many more countries and companies are now using SAITEX as a springboard into the continent, including exhibitors from 15 African countries. This year’s SAITEX has first-time national pavilions from Belgium, Denmark, Korea, Ukraine, Peru, Chile, and Central and Eastern Europe, making SAITEX the definitive hub for doing business in Africa.”

City of Joburg Pavilion

The CoJ will again be hosting a pavilion showcasing products and services from entrepreneurs and SMMEs in the region. These include non-food retail products, with special sectors featuring tools, hardware and building supplies, home appliances, housewares and homewares, as well as consumer electronics.

As part of a drive to increase its export base, as well as the rand worth of value-added export of goods and services, in line with the elasticity of supply and demand, the City of Joburg is collaborating with the Visegrad countries, as well as Sri Lanka and Botswana, to host an inward buying and investment seminar at SAITEX. Its aim is to create jobs, attract skills and encourage technology transfer. CoJ will also be hosting a Youth in Technology seminar.

“SAITEX plays a major role in boosting Gauteng’s economy, and the City of Joburg’s support of the show adds tangible value to the benefits it offers all participants,” says Thomson.

Online business matchmaking

SAITEX provides a convenient online business matchmaking facility, available on the web and via a new mobile app, enabling visitors and exhibitors to pre-arrange meetings online. This gives everyone more time to do business on each day of the show. More information is available on the organisers’ website: www.exhibitionsafrica.com

For more information on SAITEX, contact Lineke van der Brugghen, Exhibition Management Services. Tel: +27 11 783 7250. Fax: +27 11 783 7269. E-mail: [email protected] or Anina Hough, SAITEX. Email: [email protected]

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About Exhibition Management Services

South Africa-based Exhibition Management Services (EMS) is one of the longest established event organisers in the country and is the only events company on the continent with years of experience in delivering Pan African exhibition programmes.

With nearly 30 years of networking in Africa, EMS’s database is unique in the industry and enables the unrivalled identification, notification and participation of qualified international trade visitors to its events.