The goal of the Black Industrialists Programme is to accelerate the growth of Black Industrialists who are actively participating in the national economy, selected industrial sectors and value-chains

KABUL, Afghanistan, September 15, 2017/APO/ -- 

A group of Black Industrialists jets off to Uganda on Sunday in search of a market for their products as well as investment opportunities. The group’s week-long trade and investment mission is organised and funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The mission consists of export-ready Black Industrialists operating in the economic infrastructure, agro-processing, electronics, as well as textiles, footwear and leather sectors.

The mission to Uganda is part of the implementation of the Black Industrialists Programme (BIP). The programme is aimed at promoting industrialisation, sustainable economic growth and transformation through the financial and non-financial support of black-owned entities in the manufacturing sector. The BIP is anchored on three fundamental pillars, namely access to capital, access to markets and non-financial support.

The Managing Director of Nutri SA, Mr Christopher Masina says he is optimistic that the mission to Uganda will yield positive results for his company as he has already established that the country’s agricultural sector there is growing and the demand for the products that his company produces is high.

“Our mission for travelling to Uganda is to seek a new market for our products, as well as look for any business opportunities that we can be able to explore in Uganda. We are excited to be part of this mission and we hope that it will go a long way in assisting us to find a market where we can export our products to,” says Masina.

Masina, whose Durban-based agro-processing company produces fertilisers and animal feed reckons the trip will have a positive impact on his company as it will enable them to increase production in order to serve the new market.

The trip could not have come at a more opportune time for us as we have learnt that Uganda is going through the rural electrification process at the moment

The Managing Director of the Alberton-based United Industrial Cables, Mr Xolani Mgulwa says he is also confident of marketing his company successfully in Uganda and expose its capacity to the Ugandan market.

“The trip could not have come at a more opportune time for us as we have learnt that Uganda is going through the rural electrification process at the moment. The trip will provide us with an opportunity to interact with the key people with the aim of getting involved in some of the projects. Our other objective is creating connections with various industry players there such as the Ugandan national power utility, electrical contractors and distributors and discuss possibilities of us supplying them with our products,” says Mgulwa.

According to the CEO of Mizlek Foods, Mr Vusi Ndala, the trip will contribute positively to achieving his company’s mission of establishing its footprint in East Africa via Uganda.

“We have a Ugandan investor in our company and the choice of the country for this mission was perfect for us. Our aim is to make a deal with a distributor or partners so that we can export our products there, particularly our highly nutritious breakfast porridge. Depending on the uptake of our products, we intend to invest in setting up facilities there in order to manufacture in Uganda and distribute to the rest of East Africa,” says Ndala whose company is based in Midland.

The Managing Director of the Pretoria-based Matayo Biofuels, Mr Prince Skosana is also confident that the trip will result in his company exporting its bio-diesel processing equipment and pharmaceutical glycerine to Uganda.

The goal of the Black Industrialists Programme is to accelerate the growth of Black Industrialists who are actively participating in the national economy, selected industrial sectors and value-chains in order to increase their contribution to economic growth, investment, exports and employment.

The mission to Uganda will be the third that the dti has arranged for the Black Industrialists, after missions to Nigeria in September last year, and Namibia in June this year.

Distributed by APO on behalf of The Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa3