Plenty of business opportunities await South Africa, and especially the West Coast, in Indonesia.
Trade interest in this massive island state Z the fifth-largest economy in Asia and the only South-East Asian member of the G20 nations Z was given a boost in Saldanha this week.
A business networking session, which took place at the Protea Hotel in Saldanha on Tuesday 17 May, was facilitated by the trade and investment company Africasiauk+4.
Its Saldanha-based directors, Peter Legg and Mario Green, were contacted by the Indonesian consulate in Cape Town, which asked for an opportunity to promote the 31st Trade Expo in Indonesia from 12-16 October.
The Expo was also marketed last week in Durban.
Ambassador Suprapto Martosetomo said Indonesia considers South Africa a strategic partner.
His country boasts a 5% GPD economic growth rate, with a low unemployment rate of 11,18% in a population of 250 million, Martosetomo said there are lots of possibilities for business in his country.
Indonesia is keen to import iron ore, wine, beef and fresh fruit from South Africa. Their major exports include palm oil (the world’s biggest exporter), furniture, rubber, coffee (the second largest in the world), jewellery and handicrafts.
However, South Africa’s current restrictive visa regulations complicate business visits. “Please tell your government to relax visa regulations for business,” Martosetomo requested.
Riyadi Asirdin, acting Consulate General at the Indonesian Consulate in Cape Town, said economic participation between the two countries is still low and there is strong potential that this could be increased.
Saldanha Bay mayor Francois Schippers said the municipality’s appreciates the visit. He added that the municipality has started a new unit for interaction with foreign countries, headed up by Abé du Plessis, the municipality’s former HR manager.
For Green it is his and Legg’s hope that this interaction will be the start of something big “which will build bridges between our two countries, focusing especially on the West Coast”.
