Hanoi has carried out a range of trade promotion programmes in Africa and South Africa in particular, helping Vietnamese brands gain a firm foothold in the market, according to insiders.

Cashew nut is among Hanoi's exports to Africa. (Photo: VNA)

The Hanoi Promotion Agency, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade and more than 10 local businesses participated in the South African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) in South Africa last month. 

Apart from booths established by businesses, Hanoi set up a special pavilion at the exhibition, introducing publications and products of the capital city.

It also held an exchange programme between Vietnamese enterprises and those from South Africa and Mozambique. 

Nguyen Xuan Phu, Chairman of Sunhouse Group, a leading household appliance brand in Vietnam which joined the exhibition, said his group is preparing for the signing of contracts with African partners. 

According to Lai Thuy Hoa, deputy head of the trade promotion bureau under the Hanoi Promotion Agency, South Africa has a great demand for most of the Vietnamese exports. 

Supermarkets in South Africa serve not only domestic consumers but also neighbouring countries, she said, noting that the 1.2-billion-people market is the gateway for Vietnamese firms to penetrate Africa. 

Le Hong Thang, Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said South Africa is Vietnam’s largest trade partner in Africa. 

Hanoi’s major exports to South Africa include machines, equipment, spare parts, garments-textiles, chemicals, wood and timber materials, cashew nuts and handicrafts. 

As of early June 2019, the city’s export turnover to South Africa exceeded 9.5 million USD, which, however, remained small compared with the country’s annual import value of 75 billion USD, he said.