Wine expo brings SA and China closer together

An innovative and exciting initiative was presented on Sept. 29 by representatives of the Western Cape wine industry alongside participating leading Chinese importers.

This collaborative networking opportunity was initiated by the China Construction Bank Johannesburg Branch (CCB) in conjunction with local organizations and Chinese wine industry entities, seeking to promote ongoing dialogue and boost trade between relevant producers and merchants. These included the South African Representative Office of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Wines of South Africa, China Alcoholic Drinks Association and Jingdong International Logistics.

“Let me applaud China Construction Bank for making the effort to actively promote South Africa and specifically our area of excellence in wine making, which ranks amongst the best in the world,” commented the SA Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Dr. Siyabonga Cwele. “This year marks the 23rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Africa and China, and in the midst of the global pandemic, the two countries continue to cooperate in multiple global forums such as this event,” Ambassador Cwele said. He added that “local businesses will be able to leverage CCB’s resourceful Match Plus Platform to get introduced to a vast client base in China.”

The CCB Match Plus platform was designed to assist companies of all sizes in sourcing and promoting products both in and out of China, ultimately matching the supply and demand for a broad range of goods.

Hu Bofei, the Deputy General Manager of the International Business Department at the CCB Head Office, said that since the establishment of the Match Plus Platform, CCB has successfully hosted 115 business matching events in 33 countries and regions, and has serviced thousands of businesses around the world.

The event was an apt and colorful kickoff to a fortnight-long digital exhibition, where wine producers and China-based importers and distributors can further fortify their trading relationships, and with expectant deals having already been inked by attending businesses at the end of this opening event.