Cape Town: Wesgro is ramping up its efforts to unlock the export opportunities in key markets, with a major focus on Asia, which is a crucial region for South Africa’s trade-induced industrialisation strategy.
Recently, Wesgro’s Middle East & Asia desk participated in Anuga Select India in Mumbai, which drew 30,000 registered buyers. The team was pleased to reconnect with the Indian market post-COVID and observed strong interest from the key buyers.
Being a major international trade hub, Mumbai offered the exporters a chance to expand their global presence and forge valuable connections.
Anuga Select India is one of the largest Summit, that see the gatherings of Food and Beverage (F&B) professionals, attracting chefs, Hotel, Restaurant and Café/Catering (HoReCa) experts, manufacturers and policymakers.
As per the sources, the gathering provides an ideal platform for the experts to network and make collaborations.
Wesgro proudly showcased its exhibitors from the Western Cape, which also included Benjamin Commodities and Wine Way. It also presented Cape Rooibos, Arid Wines Stellenbosch along with the Triple 3 Distillery.
Over the past six years, the Western Cape has remained South Africa’s leading province for primary agricultural exports to India, recording the contribution 68.73% of these exports in 2023.
Notably, from the year 2021 to the last year 2023, the province has consistently ranked among the top three, especially for food, beverage and tobacco (FBT) exports to India. By making up 3.42% of South Africa’s total FBT exports to the Asian country in the year 2023.
Overall, the Western Cape led South Africa in combined primary agricultural and FBT exports to India in four of the six years from 2018 to 2023.
Anuga Select India was held in Mumbai from August 28, 2024 to August 30, 2024. It is an important B2B platform for the food & beverage trade and retail market in the Indian sub-continent.
The meeting invites international producers, who can meet up with the decision-makers and relevant buyers from India and its neighbouring countries.
The trade fair is accompanied by a matchmaking programme, store checks, followed by the ‘Food Retail Awards’ ceremony, live cooking sessions, wine tastings and then CEO round table discussions while being supported by the Retailers Association of India (RAI) and then the Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI).