The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in collaboration with the South African Embassy in Saudi Arabia, will host a virtual Outward Selling Mission to Saudi Arabia.
The theme of the mission will be: "Unlocking Trade Opportunities through Collaboration.”
Thursday’s mission will focus on opportunities that are available in the Saudi market for South African meat producers to take advantage of, as well as market access requirements.
In August last year, the Saudi government lifted a 21-year ban on importing red meat products such as beef, lamb and mutton from South Africa.
According to the Deputy Director-General of Exports at the dtic, Lerato Mataboge, the lifting of the ban provides a good opportunity for South African meat producers to tap into the $5 billion Saudi market.
Exporters, importers, agents, distributors, retailers, as well as representatives of abattoirs, chambers of businesses and business organisations are expected to attend the interactive session to share information on how to further explore the opportunities provided by the Saudi market for South African meat producers.
“Soon after the lifting of the ban, numerous companies worked hard to ensure that they seized the export opportunity that was created by the decision of the Saudi government, which was the result of the State Visit to Saudi Arabia by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2022,” Mataboge said.
“The lifting of the ban was preceded by a visit by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) to South African abattoirs and feedlots to check their compliance with the Saudi market access protocols and halaal certification,” she said.
Mataboge said since the lifting of the ban, twelve South African companies have been approved by the SFDA to export beef meat and its products and approved seven companies for lamb and mutton meat and its products to Saudi Arabia.
She said the session will provide valuable insights to Saudi importers and distributors into the South Africa’s meat export value chain, highlighting why South African companies are suppliers of choice for importers worldwide.
“Our value proposition is that South Africa has a world-class meat sector that is well-positioned to meet the Saudi market demand,” Mataboge said.
She said in addition to providing market access information, the session will also explore South Africa’s halaal compliance standards and provide opportunities for Saudi importers to connect with South African exporters. It will also promote South Africa’s industrial capabilities and facilitate business-to-business engagements.
“These engagements are expected to ultimately culminate in an increase in the volumes of South African meat products that are exported to Saudi Arabia,” Mataboge explained.
Bilateral trade
The mission will also contribute to strengthening economic relations between South Africa and Saudi Arabia and boost trade and investment.
She added that exports of meat from bovine animals increased to R3.6 million in 2023 from R0 in 2022.
“Saudi Arabia continues to be a key strategic partner for South Africa in the Middle East. It is South Africa's second-largest trading partner and the biggest source of imports from the Middle East. Bilateral trade between the two countries totalled R66 billion in 2023,” Mataboge said.
The session will get underway at 10 am. It can be accessed on: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a36b99fd-7ea0-40e9-b0a0-84fb05b81aa4@65bb5da6-80f4-46a8-a104-842c82f8acce – SAnews.gov.za
