The virtual trade event presenting South African Manufacturers to Africa and Middle East took place on a brand new recently built specialised virtual platform. 31 South African companies were represented. eThekwini Footwear and Leather Cluster as well as WESGRO, DTIC, and SA Consulates in Africa and Middle East all worked collectively with SAFLEC to ensure that the industry was continuing trade promotion. The services of two consultants from Africa, ensured that B2B meetings could be held between potential buyers and sellers. The platform saw over 150 buyers visit the site. Via social media, the event received close to 1 million impressions.  When asked about the success of the event, Executive Director of SAFLEC, Nerisha Jairaj had this to say: “ The recent environment has posed many challenges, in ensuring that we do not lose momentum of years of work that has gone into market access promotion.   Virtual takes 10 times more work to put together with only 25% of visitors that would normally attend a physical trade event and even smaller chance of getting a buyer to visit your stand than a physical event.  So, working with stakeholders to bring buyers in is an astronomically difficult task but we put in that work irrespective. We partner up with trade show organisers, consultants as well as send out bulk emails to global buyer databases. We need to treat this as “if you do not clinch a deal on the day of the event, almost 1 million people who did not know you, now know you. The visitor information is captured on registration, so that manufacturers can access to their contact details, so they can do direct contact and marketing.  We simply cannot just stand by and wait for physical trade events to open. We have seen over 18 months of this pandemic and in that time buyers will forget.  This way, we are still in their face. They can see that we are still there and are still an option of sourcing destination. So, I would say that we successfully building Brand SA, and making progress is our intent to grow exports. Of course, we can only do so much and the manufacturers who exhibit need to do their part too and that is to follow up on the retail database by sending their latest catalogues via email shots to those potential buyers and engaging making the sales pitch of their product.”

Executive Director of SAFLEC, Nerisha Jairaj, was the only South African awarded by the Palace and British High Commission with the Point of Lights Award this July 2021.  “I’m quite chuffed. There’s a lot going on right now, with the 3^rd wave and riots etc, so this was indeed a little morale boaster of sorts. But I hate taking sole credit, when I have a team of people who play a major role in helping me bring my crazy ideas/strategies/projects to life.  I also love that, that team of people share my passions.  So, I share this award with SAFLEC, Top Line manufacturers, all my sponsor manufacturers who are always ready to assist when I start these drives. Rijul Pattundeen, Cae Media, Faithwalkers and most important Sarah, my PA, Prenisha and Priya. Let’s just say this point of light gave us a little light of hope to keep pushing on amidst the Chaos.”