Global Sources (NASDAQ: GSOL) today opened its 2nd Annual China Sourcing Fairs in Johannesburg. With more product categories this year filling four exhibition halls, the events are the largest China-products exhibitions ever to be held in Africa. The exhibitions, which feature over 820 exhibitor booths, a 29 percent increase, are to be held from November 30 to December 2, 2011, at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Africa’s trade with China is booming,” said Tommy Wong, President of Global Sources Exhibitions. “The expansion of our China Sourcing Fairs in Johannesburg is representative of that growth.”
China has emerged as Africa’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade growing at an average of 28 percent over the past 10 years, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. Trade between China and Africa is also set to reach record levels this year, as trade volume in the first three quarters of 2011 rose 30 percent year-on-year to reach US$122.2 billion. More than 2,000 Chinese companies invested in Africa by the end of 2010. China itself had invested US$1.08 billion in Africa’s non-financial sectors in the first three quarters of 2011, an increase of 87 percent compared to the same period last year.
The China Sourcing Fairs feature manufacturers of consumer electronics, solar and energy-saving products, fashion accessories, garments and textiles, baby and children’s products, gifts and premiums, home products, and hardware and building materials. The Fairs are exclusively for importers, traders, and other volume buyers who purchase consumer products for resale to markets throughout Africa.
The China Sourcing Fairs in Johannesburg are supported by important industry associations, including the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), the Southern African Alternative Energy Association (SAAEA), and the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA).
Joining Mr. Wong to officially open the China Sourcing Fairs were:
- Mr. Yan Qingwen, Deputy Consul-General, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Johannesburg
- Mr. Jiang Wei, Economic & Commercial Counsellor, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of South Africa
- Mr. Neren Rau, Chief Executive Officer, South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Global Sources’ new Online Sourcing Fairs are also a part of the Johannesburg events. Online Sourcing Fairs are online “shows” that enable buyers who are planning to attend the events to learn more about the exhibitors and to plan their sourcing strategies before the shows. The Online Sourcing Fairs also allow buyers who were unable to attend the Fairs to source from these exhibitors online. Each Online Sourcing Fair includes the key components of Global Sources’ offline, China Sourcing Fair events, including profiles of exhibitors’ featured products, multiple images of the booths, company videos, and conference sessions.
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