As part of this, Wesgro today hosted the first ever small scale conference in Cape Town on halal exports for local and international buyers.
The ‘Halal Products and Services Inward Buying Mission’, provided a platform to showcase the region’s offering and infrastructure to delegates, and to facilitate new business streams and build long-term partnerships.
The conference is part of a longer-term plan by Cape Town and the Western Cape to host the biggest Halal expo in Africa in October 2018.
According to the latest figures, the Western Cape experienced an annual average export growth of 17.84% over the last five years - worth $9 billion. Halal exports - which include meat, dairy, fresh fruit, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals - currently contribute less than one per cent of that total.
Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, noted that “the international Halal industry is an important trade opportunity for Western Cape companies. To this end, Wesgro has intensified its trade efforts within this sector and is achieving remarkable results. From the export promotion inception programme in 2016, the total trade value secured from the international market has been estimated at R320million.
In July, Wesgro’s Research department published its first halal market research paper, which provides insights into the halal industry, ranging from ‘background and definitions”, to ‘starting a halal food and beverage business and getting certified’.
We have more workshops and inward/outward missions to key halal markets lined up over the next financial year, and in 2018 will host the first African Halal Expo in Cape Town.”
Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde added that “This conference provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our offering to the international market. We know that if we increase our share of the Halal market, it would add R56 billion to the Western Cape economy. As part of our Project Khulisa strategy, the Western Cape Government has also launched a supplier development programme to make sure local entrepreneurs can take advantage of opportunities in the Halal industry. I am confident the conference will provide a platform for our industry to build key partnerships with leaders in the international industry.”