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South Africa's Trade Minister Visits First Coast

Posted on: Friday, 2 September 2005, 18:00 CDT

Sep. 1--Jacksonville has the opportunity to generate more international business with South Africa, the trade minister from that country said Wednesday during a visit to the First Coast.

Exporting financial services, importing foodstuffs and increasing the amount of shipping traffic coming from South Africa are all possibilities for the future, said Mudunwazi Baloyi, economic minister in the South African embassy in Washington, D.C.

"It's been a successful visit," Baloyi said, after meeting with various local and federal trade development officials. "There's a couple of things I'd like to explore that are tied in with our strategic goals."

The area could even become a critical trade link between South Africa and other countries that it doesn't have direct shipping ties to, Baloyi said.

"You could be a hub for South African shipments to the Caribbean," the minister said. "We could take advantage of the position of Jacksonville."

The trade minister visited Jacksonville not only to discuss trade linkages between Jacksonville and his country, but also to pave the way for a visit by the South African ambassador to the United States, who will come to the First Coast on Sept. 22.

Ambassador Barbara Joyce Masekela will be the main speaker at the 22nd annual Minority Enterprise Development Week, during which she is expected to discuss the potential that international trade provides to small businesses.

The ambassador will also tour the Jacksonville Port Authority's operations and meet with small business owners who ship goods to South Africa, where Jacksonville has a sister city, Port Elizabeth.

"I see Africa as a market that is the next market to be tapped," said Ron Van Johnson, an economic development specialist with the Small Business Administration who met with Baloyi and is involved with the Minority Enterprise Development Week.

The week-long celebration will also include a business matchmaking event, a youth entrepreneur summit, a golf tournament and an awards luncheon, where the winners of seven entrepreneur-related awards will be announced.

Baloyi will be back in Jacksonville for that event, but said he hopes it's not the last time he's able to visit the area.

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Source: The Florida Times-Union

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