New exhibition and conference to centre around energy, water, waste water management, construction, transport, logistics, and telecommunications technology
p>New exhibition and conference to centre around energy, water, waste water management, construction, transport, logistics, and telecommunications technology
Deutsche Messe has announced that it is expanding its foreign activities and will be organising its first-ever event in South Africa in 2012. The trade fair, Africa Infrastructure, will take place from 8 – 11 May 2012 at the ExpoCentre in Johannesburg.
“South Africa is the economic focus of the entire sub-Saharan region and thus the perfect location for an event that will attract decision-makers from across this vast part of the African continent”, said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, Board Member responsible for overseas tradeshows at Deutsche Messe, recently.
With economic growth rates at a stable eight per cent, countries such as Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda belong – along with China – to the fastest growing economies in the world.
“South Africa serves as a gateway to these growing African markets,” said Gruchow. “The country plays an important role as a supplier of energy as well as in the transport and communications sector. We have geared the exhibition program of Africa Infrastructure precisely around these key areas.”
Combining both an exhibition and a conference, Africa Infrastructure will focus on keynote themes such as energy, water and waste water management, construction, transport and logistics, as well as telecommunications. South Africa produces a broad range of consumer and capital goods and accounts for approximately one fifth of the GDP generated on the entire African continent. The continued growth in the GDP is driven primarily by strong domestic demand. The main growth areas are transport, energy, construction and ICT.
South Africa is investing extensively in the modernisation of landline communications as well as mobile networks and the development of road and rail transport. Various key projects are aimed at developing the infrastructure in the fields of renewable energy, water supply, treatment and waste water management, as well as distribution. Major importers of South African products include Germany, China, the US, Saudi Arabia and Japan.
The organisers of Africa Infrastructure are South African Show Services (SASS), Hannover Fairs International – a subsidiary of Deutsche Messe – and the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event will offer an overview of all the core infrastructure project areas and serve as a platform for export-oriented companies to present their expertise and find new business leads. Taking part in this trade show will help them enter the dynamic growth markets in the southern part of the African continent.
