Strategic trips by the Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association (sassda) to Tanzania, Senegal and Mozambique as part of the dtiâs Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (EMIA) have yielded a number of exciting, ânew marketâ opportunities for local companies wishing to ramp up their returns on existing or potential African investments.
Sassda Market Intelligence Specialist Lesley Squires says the value of these trips cannot be under estimated. Expanding on these opportunities, Squires turns her attention to Senegal that has yet to take full economic advantage of its strategic, equidistant location from the US, Europe and South Africa.
Squires elaborates; âThere is currently no meat industry in Senegal as to date all meat products have been imported. To bolster local production, they are introducing a new sheep-goat hybrid â a âgeepâ or âshoatâ â that will offer a succulent meat product.â? Due to the highly corrosive nature of animal blood, research is currently underway between the local abattoir industry, local representatives and sassda to establish a longest lasting, hygienic stainless steel that is also cost-effective for the building of abattoirs, both locally and for export markets.
Also populating the Senegalese horizon is the growing number of telecommunications companies such as MTN, Vodacom and French-based Orange, which require logistics laboratories with specified enclosures. Squires reveals; âWe have had a lot of interest for our 3CR12 stainless steel, since Dakar is located on the coast and therefore has a highly-corrosive atmosphere.â?
