Around 22 members of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will join a trade mission to South Africa next month with the goal of forging sustainable trade partnerships between the two countries.

Carmel de Pio Salvador, chairperson of the South Africa Business Council, said the trade mission will be comprised of industry leaders in furniture-making, food, business process outsourcing (BPO), spa and beverage as well as transport, real estate, construction and the academe.

Salvador told on the sidelines of last Tuesday’s general membership meeting that the nine-day South Africa trade mission is exploratory in nature.

“We will be looking at the areas of business where we can work together with the business movers in South Africa,” Salvador said.

The trade mission which runs from Sept. 19-27 includes a three-day visit in Johannesburg and a four-day stay in Cape Town.

A series of “business matchings and meetings” will be conducted with members of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The delegation will also meet businessmen in the capital city of Pretoria in a welcome dinner hosted by Ambassador Virgilio Reyes Jr.

Through these business matchings, Salvador said they hope to promote mutual investment opportunities that will benefit both countries.

A highlight event for the delegation is the Fifth Biennial Cape Wine International Trade Show organized by the Wines of South Africa.

Salvador said that although there are existing trade arrangements between Cebu and South Africa covering wines and other exports, there is still a need to expand these market ties to create more economic opportunities.

“This time, we want to penetrate the (South African) market and really see firsthand what products and services we can further work on, and how we can make these possible. That is why we're bringing in the traders,” he said.

CCCI president Edward S. Gaisano said conducting trade missions is one way of realizing the chamber's vision of making Cebu businesses more globally-competitive.

Gaisano said the CCCI is targetting trade missions in areas they deem to have huge investment potential for their members like South Korea, Russia and India.

Clarito Fruelda, CCCI vice president for external affairs, said trade missions to Israel and India are being worked out.