Sipho Masondo
3 November 2008
Johannesburg — THE quality of entrants and winners in the Eastern Cape chapter of the Exporters Club of South Africa awards indicated that Eastern Cape exporters were becoming serious players in global and international trade, said Allan Cobert, the club chairman
Winners in the different categories were announced in September.
SJM Flex SA, which manufactures automotive flexible couplings for international markets, was awarded the exporter of the year prize, while Eberspaecher, which produces catalytic converters and exhaust mufflers for export, was crowned best indirect exporter.
Gillet Exhaust Technologie (trading as Tennecco), another catalytic converter and exhaust system manufacturer, was recognised with the best sustained growth award, and Eveready Diversified Products (trading as Kestrel Wind Turbines) took the entrepreneurial exporter award.
The best BEE exporter of the year was Howden Donkin, manufacturing axial flow and centrifugal fans for export.
"The quality of the entries were the highest ever received, even though the economic conditions have been very challenging," Cobert said.
"Exports are growing phenomenally in this region. In fact, more than 8% of all national exports come from the Eastern Cape."
He said that infrastructural development and capital projects have catapulted the provincial economy into one of the fastest-growing in SA.
Cobert said t he automotive industry, general manufacturing, deciduous fruits and citrus in the agricultural sector made up much of the province's exports.
Oscar Grobler, head of commercial products and financial institutions at Absa Corporate and Business Bank, said the Eastern Cape's increase in exports was a sign that the province was slowly emerging from the economic doldrums.
"It contributes about 8,1% to the country's gross domestic product. Exports rose from R4bn in 1996 to more than R100bn last year," he said.
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