In a short space of four months, the Cape Trade Portal has attracted 500 registered exporters showcasing over 1 600 products, according to Wesgro. The trade portal is a matchmaking tool and virtual connection point for international buyers and sellers in the Western Cape to sell their products and services to the world.
Launched earlier this year by Wesgro in partnership with the City and the Western Cape government, the trade portal aimed to assist local exporters in expanding their global footprint, and strengthen the Cape brand identity across global markets with an initial priority focus on the province’s top export markets internationally.
Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander, said trade promotion is key to the economic growth of the province and the virtual trade portal is an essential piece of a larger, on-going effort to assist businesses in the province and boost their growth potential. She said it’s encouraging to see such a positive uptake on the platform in such a short space of time.
“I encourage Western Cape exporters of products and services who wish to grow their exports to become familiar with the portal and gain access to key growth markets. Wesgro continues to champion efforts to ensure that the province remains a sought-after source market globally,” she said.
The provincial MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, said the province is a proud ‘region of origin’ of many first-class products for the export market. “A key priority for the Western Cape government is to ramp up our support for local exporters and to provide the right platforms for exporters to expand their global footprint. The Cape Trade Portal is one such initiative which embraces innovation to digitally connect exporters with key markets, because, at the end of the day, more exports mean more jobs in the Western Cape,” he said.
Sharing these sentiments, the MEC for mayoral committee member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, said the recovery from the pandemic must lead to a stronger, and more inclusive and sustainable economy. “This means that Capetonian businesses, both existing and aspiring, must be central to our efforts. This is the very reason why the City has directed funding towards the online portal which directly connects local exporters with international buyers.”
He added that the trade portal will prove to be a vital tool for the healthy growth of Cape Town’s economy.
For those who are interested in getting involved with the initiative, contact [email protected]
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