Ignorance and misinformation stymies growth, writes Leonard Neill
AS THE UNITED States government opens its trade doors to emerging industrial nations such as South Africa, too many would-be entrepreneurs from this country are
getting lost in their dealings with US companies because of insufficient knowledge of the markets available to them.
It's a problem which the South Africa USA Chamber of Commerce is addressing says Anton Hendler, South African-born president of the Chamber, who is resident in Fort Lauderdale, USA.
"Businessmen in the US now realise that you can't just export and not import, and they are looking at emerging markets.
"The US market is huge and untapped but the country itself is so big that it often presents a scary picture to the exporter. That is what we are there for as a non-profit organisation, to act as matchmakers and encourage South African dealings in both the export and import fields."
Hendler cites an example of a Panamanian company that was seeking to send goods to South Africa and was dealing with a US source which approached them. In turn the US company had control of Florida's vast citrus exports. The Chamber has now linked these two with a South African outlet, and while South African citrus will be available in Florida during the latter's winter months, US citrus will now reach sales shelves in this country in our off-season.
"It is the type of joint agreement we are endeavouring to foster, and we are doing our best to
get the right US businessmen to visit South Africa." A big problem, says Hendler, is ignorance.
" I was involved in a television interview where I was asked if lions still roam the streets of the major cities. Now our task is to disseminate the real information, and show them that South Africa is offering incredible value for their exports to this country."
The AGOA agreement, says Hendler, is an indication that there is a sincere effort on the part of the US government to assist in the development of African business.
Anton Hendler ... our task is to disseminate the real information
