Engage Trade Africa is a bespoke peer-learning program created to enhance trade collaboration between Africa, South Africa, and the United States, serving as a dynamic platform for meaningful exchanges and growth opportunities.

Engage Trade Africa 2023 was a 3-day-long program over a 5 day period, providing high level, quality engagements for the African Regional and South African Exporters with targeted, assessed and prepared U.S. & South African Buyers.

Catalyze built the program from scratch, creating a delegation of carefully selected, pre-approved African Exporters, U.S. and South African buyers, and Trade Promotion Service Providers for a series of strategically planned event days.

Saturday 4 March

Day 1 of the Engage Trade Africa program kicked off with a fun, engaging and educational networking day on Saturday, with an open top bus tour of Cape Town. During the tour, there were speakers sharing their unique knowledge followed by Q&A sessions and networking opportunities. Over 200 engagements and social relationships developed throughout the day.

Monday 6 March

Day 2 started off bright and early at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC). The dynamic and engaging MC, Cape Talk’s Africa Melane, steered the day from the keynote address from Jacques Swanepoel, of USAID Regional Economic Growth Office, through introductory videos, buyer presentations, two excellent moderated panels, and the carefully scheduled and choreographed B2B meetings between the attendees.

The event area was strategically laid out with each exporter having their own area for their pre-arranged B2B meetings, showcasing their products and having everything they might need to ensure the engagement was a success.

There was a clear goal of providing Exporters with buyer leads, and an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the US and South African markets. It was an absolute success with over 300 formal pre-arranged meetings happening between 50+ buyers and 30+ exporters.

Tuesday 7 March

Not to be outdone, Day 3 was attended by over 120 key delegates heading out in 2 study groups on site visits to manufacturers, distributors and retailers in Cape Town; including: Shoprite, Wellness Warehouse, Rush Nutrition, Kerston Foods, and Khayelitsha Cookies. The focus was on education, but also engagements through experiential relationship development by taking key delegates to common interest facilities.

Catalyze has been delighted to watch the profitable long term relationships growing from this event! You can find out more about the event and read the wonderful testimonials here: https://engagetrade.africa/engage-trade-africa-2023/.