On June 10, a multidisciplinary business mission of Russian companies with the support of the Russian Export Center was launched in the Sandton business district (Johannesburg). The international B2B platform AKTAWA was one of the key participants, presenting an ecosystem for cross-border trade and industrial solutions for ten priority sectors of the South African market.

The two-day event brought together 15 Russian exporting companies. In the first half of the day alone, 90 bilateral meetings were held with South African partners.

The opening ceremony was attended by:

• Israfil Ali-Zadeh — Head of the REC's Middle East and Africa Relations Department
• Peter Pavlenko is Russia's Trade representative in South Africa
• Evgeny Sadikov— Minister Counsellor at the Russian Embassy
• Kgotso Radira is a representative of the Gauteng Agency for Economic Growth and Development (GGDA)

"We see mutual interest and hope that following the results of our event, agreements will be reached between the companies of the two countries. Russian business has certain prospects in South Africa," Israfil Ali-Zadeh said.

aktawa is the key to a strategic partnership

AKTAWA is an international B2B platform that unites trusted Russian manufacturers with global customers. In its ecosystem, it combines marketplace functionality, logistics, financial instruments, analytics, and export services.

At the business mission, AKTAWA presented 10 key sectors most in demand in South Africa:

1. Mining equipment — crushers, screens, conveyors, drilling rigs, pumps, valves, wear-resistant parts.

2. Metallurgy and materials — steel, aluminum, special alloys, pipe products.

3.      Energy — generation equipment, transformers, substations, energy efficiency solutions.

4. Industrial automation and CNC machines — lathes, milling machines, boring machines, PLC, controllers, sensors.

5. Electronic components — semiconductors, microcontrollers, power modules, printed circuit boards.

6. Laser equipment — industrial lasers, installations for cutting, marking and welding.

7. Chemical products and fertilizers — nitrogen, phosphorous, potash fertilizers, sulfur, industrial chemicals.

8. Welding equipment — apparatuses, automatic systems, electrodes.

9. Transport and heavy machinery — trucks, commercial vehicles, and reloading equipment.

10. Industrial infrastructure — modular solutions, warehouse and engineering systems.

In addition, AKTAWA presented its own smart logistics network (automatic route calculation, cargo tracking, more than 500 partners around the world) and the Trade Assurance system — counterparty verification, transaction insurance.

Why South Africa?

According to the presentation of the Russian Trade Mission in South Africa, the country remains Africa's largest economy. (nominal GDP is about 380 billion US dollars). The following are the most promising for Russian exports:

• Mining (equipment and services)
• Energy (including renewable and high-voltage equipment)
• Agriculture (plant protection products, seeds, machinery)
• Railway engineering and automobile industry
• ICT and software

At the same time, exporters should take into account local peculiarities.:

1) The B-BBEE rating system (preferences for companies with black participation).

2) Difficulties with international payments.

3)Long -term logistics (sea delivery 25-45 days).

4) The absence of a preferential tariff for Russian goods.

This is where AKTAWA offers a comprehensive solution, from partner verification to transaction support.

Participation in the business mission allowed AKTAWA will not only present its capabilities to South African businesses, but also conduct substantive negotiations on the supply of industrial equipment, electronics, and energy solutions. The platform already has local hubs in Dubai and Shanghai, and is now strengthening its presence in Africa, a region where demand for Russian products is steadily growing.

We continue to expand the geography of our business missions, following the strategy of developing Russian non -primary exports to the BRICS countries and Africa.