IRISH COMPANIES have secured millions of euro worth of new business on a trade mission to South Africa.
Representatives from the pharmaceutical, automotive, technology and software sectors secured contracts in Johannesburg and Cape Town that are expected to deliver over €15 million in Irish exports to South Africa over the next few years.
The Enterprise Ireland trade mission, led by Minister of State for Trade and Development Jan O’Sullivan and involving 27 Irish firms, aimed to capitalise on Ireland’s growing economic ties with Africa’s largest economy.
Last year, Irish exports to South Africa grew by 23 per cent, amounting to well over half a billion euro, while imports from the country rose by 7 per cent to more than €100 million.
Waterford pharmaceutical company EirGen Pharma inked a €3 million a year partnership with Equity Pharmaceuticals to supply five of their oncology products to the local market.
Dublin based Rennicks signed a five-year accord worth €9.1 million with Uniplate Group to supply vehicle licence plate materials for marketing throughout the sub-Saharan region.
Human resources software solutions company Clarigen secured a €150,000 contract with Silburn Drake, a Pretoria-based human resources firm that will roll out their HR management solution to their client base in South Africa, while Cork tech firm Azotel signed a deal with Wirulink Pty Ltd through Multisource, its South African distributor, worth €3 million over the next two years.
Terminalfour, a Dublin based web content management company, won its first African client – Rhodes University while Hibernia College signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of the Western Cape to collaborate on postgraduate education.
Bannow Exports, based in Gorey, Co Wexford, established Bannow Africa to provide package sewage treatment plants and environmental protection equipment.
Enterprise Ireland also unveiled its new office in Johannesburg, which will help Irish companies enter the African market, and South Africa in particular.
