EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Africa Trade Week:
Africa is open for business
“A
frica is open for business
and the continent is looking
increasingly attractive as
a trade and export destination, with
average annual growth for sub-Saharan
Africa forecast at 8% until 2023, which
is a positive outlook following the
downturn between 2015 and 2017,” said
Whitehouse at the breakfast event hosted
by dmg Events.
Africa Trade Week will be held from
23 to 25 June 2019 at the Gallagher
Convention Centre, in Midrand, and
includes the co-location of the South
African International Trade Exhibition
(SAITEX), The Hotel Show Africa, and
Africa’s Big 7.
Whitehouse pointed out that East
Africa is primarily the driving force of
growth on the continent, with the regional
economy showing no contraction, as
opposed to other regions.
This is largely because East Africa is not
an extractives-dependent region, with
mining as well as oil and gas only now
starting to become of some importance.
With South Africa and Nigeria excluded
from regional data, East Africa emerged
as the largest regional economy by 2018,
she noted.
On the other hand, southern Africa
— even including South Africa — is the
worst-performing major region, with
Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, and
DRC all hit by commodity price declines,
while Zimbabwe, eSwatini, and Malawi
were affected by a combination
of commodity prices, drought, and
governance issues.
“West Africa looks relatively good,
with the regional GDP growing from
USD600-billion to over USD1-trillion and
Nigeria expected to rebound in 2019 and
beyond,” said Whitehouse.
“Central Africa is the smallest regional
economy, but ticks along and is expected
to maintain growth of around 3.5% a year
— much of it driven by regional gateway
Cameroon.”
Whitehouse noted that by 2023, the
continent will see five economies of over
USD100-billion (Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya,
Angola, and Ethiopia), and five more of
over USD50-billion (Tanzania, Ghana, Côte
d'Ivoire, DRC, and Cameroon).
She pointed out that in many
African countries and regions, key
development drivers are inextricably
linked to corridors — either by design or
fortune. “As such, corridor development
and ‘anchor tenants’ or projects are
once again becoming critical in Africa’s
development story.”
Whitehouse identified several sectors
that are key development drivers on
the continent: agriculture; extractives
(stranded minerals); urbanisation and
rising incomes; industrial and ICT; as well as
telecoms and power.
On the point of urbanisation,
Whitehouse pointed out: “Urban areas in
Africa comprise 472-million people. That
number will double over the next 25 years
as migrants push to cities and due to
internal city growth. The largest cities grow
as fast as 4% annually.”
She described the urban ‘middle class’
as not yet a stable entity, but a large
“floating class” that hovers just above
the poverty line, while the lower–middle
consumer group added two-million
people a year in the past decade. The
upper–middle class remains a relatively
small group, but is growing.
“Wealthier Africans are largely
urban and are driving consumption of
consumer goods and building materials,”
Whitehouse said.
Africa’s top import markets remain
South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana,
and Angola, with the key source of
supply for all these markets being
China. Not surprisingly, China also holds
a significant part of the key supplier
market share in these countries: 19% in
South Africa and Angola and 33% in
Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.
With impressive economic growth figures, Africa is becoming an attractive destination for trade and
export, according to Liz Whitehouse, MD of Africa House, who spoke during an Embassy/Consulate
Breakfast hosted on 12 March ahead of this year’s Africa Trade Week.
Lynn Chamier, event director at dmg events, said a few words about the upcoming events
and what to expect.
discuss issues and trends, and identify
opportunities for international trade.
More than 11 000 international industry
professionals, from 53 countries, as well as
more than 500 exhibitors, from more than
40 countries, will gather for the event,
which will provide ample opportunity to
do business and network.
There will also be a variety of features
that visitors can expect to experience
at Africa Trade Week, including: The
Global Pizza Challenge, Kitchen of the
Future, Africa Housekeepers League
of Champions, Wine Village, IID Design
Pavilion (African Institute of Interior
Design), and the DTI/Brand SA pavilion.
Liz Whitehouse, managing director of Africa
House, and Africa research partner to dmg
events, spoke at the breakfast event.
According to Lynn Chamier, event
director at dmg events, Africa Trade
Week will bring the world to Africa and
Africa to the world to source products,
UPCOMING AFRICA TRADE WEEK
COLD LINK AFRICA • May 2019
Various workshops will also be conducted
at the Africa Trade Week, such as the
Hospitality Leadership Forum, FoodNext.
Africa, the Trade Development Forum,
Restaurant Association of South Africa
Workshops, and South African National
Halaal Association Workshops.
Africa Trade Week 2019 will
incorporate three leading exhibitions
— The Hotel Show Africa, Africa’s Big 7,
and SAITEX — as well as their associated
conferences and workshops, to create
the new home of trade highlighting pan-
African business opportunities, products,
services, equipment, supplies, innovations,
technology, and solutions. CLA
Liz Whitehouse
shared this
interesting
slide from
Africa House
regarding
project activity
in southern
Africa and
where the hot
spots are.
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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