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Research and commercial projects

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Creation of a commercial advisory capacity

TRADE Research Advisory (Pty) Ltd, which is TRADE’s commercial advisory arm and a spin-out company of the NWU, provides strategic and practical assistance to government entities and business concerns in optimising their regional or global presence, from the perspective of economic development and/or export expansion. 

TRADE Advisory’s flagship offering is the TRADE-DSM (Decision Support Model) Navigator® which is an analytical tool that identifies realistic export opportunities for both export-ready and active exporting companies that wish to expand their sales reach into foreign markets.  Part of the value in the TRADE-DSM® (video) lies in its ability to offer alternatives to exporters that are facing saturation and/or declining growth in their traditional markets.

The TRADE-DSM™ methodology (developed by the NWU TRADE research entity) takes into consideration all possible worldwide product-country combinations and, using four filters, systematically eliminates less promising markets until those with the greatest prospects of success are revealed. 

Filter 1 of the TRADE-DSM® assesses countries from the point of view of their political and commercial risk, and macroeconomic stability. Filter 2 assesses the market potential of the various product groups for the remaining countries, as determined by import growth and import market size. Filter 3 examines the accessibility of the remaining countries in terms of their different barriers to entry and degree of market concentration.  Filter 4 then categorises the final round of potential export markets according to the volume of South Africa’s current exports going to these markets, and the latter’s size, growth potential and accessibility.  Finally, by assigning a potential export value to each identified product-market combination, the shortlisted export opportunities can be prioritised according to various criteria, e.g. potential export value, market accessibility, etc. 

The TRADE-DSM®’s thoroughly-researched and highly scientific screening approach helps to take the guesswork out of export market selection, thereby paving the way for more focused and cost-effective export ventures.

TRADE Advisory offers an applied research service that involves identifying the most promising export opportunities for products and services emanating from particular sectors, provinces and countries, using the TRADE-DSM® methodology. 

For more information on the TRADE-DSM™, visit tradeadvisory.co.za or email: wilma.viviers@nwu.ac.za

Overview of projects conducted by TRADE and Trade Advisory

The information provided below provides a brief overview of various projects that the team have been involved in over the last 5 years. While the TRADE research focus area is situated within the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa) (TRADE), TRADE Research Advisory (PTY) Ltd (Trade Advisory) is a spin-out company created in partnership with the North-West University to ensure flexible and timeous reaction to requirements from government stakeholders as well as private sector clients.
TRADE and TRADE Advisory work in tandem on most projects and hence the information provided below lists projects where the teams from both entities were involved, as in practice most projects consistent of teams from both organisations.

2017

  • Indian Ocean Rim Association’s  Academic Group (IORA-AG): Towards expanding intra-Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) trade: a TRADE-DSM® analysis of bi-lateral realistic export opportunities between Thailand and South Africa.
  • South Africa - MSQ Health Group: International trade demand and realistic export potential with a focus on the African market for various medical equipment related products.
  • South Africa - North West Provincial Government Department of Finance, Economy and Enterprise Development (FEED): Regional Economic Review Current realities in the Bokone Bophirima (North West) province in relation to the NDP.
  • UK Department for International Development (DFID): Plurilateral trade agreements and the impact on LDCs – to participate or not to participate? This report was prepared for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in collaboration with Trade Matters and the TRADE research entity of the North-West University (NWU). This work was funded by DFID’s Policy Research Fund. https://www.gov.uk/dfid-research-outputs/plurilateral-trade-agreements-…
  • Rwanda - International Growth Centre (IGC): Identification of new opportunities for exporting Rwandan goods and services using a DSM approach. https://www.theigc.org/project/using-decision-support-model-identify-ex…
  • South Africa - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF): Realistic Export Opportunity Analysis for the International meat priority market study (export development) - strategy inputs from the TRADE DSM®.
  • South Africa - The Exotic Leather Cluster (SA) NPC: Base-line study of international export potential with specific focus on Crocodile leather and related products and Ostrich leather and related products.

2016

  • South Africa – Eskom: Coal Combustion By-Products (CCBs) Beneficiation Project Market Potential Research Report.
  • South Africa - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Determining EU-based Companies that are investing in the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Sectors in South Africa.
  • South Africa - Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz): Development of a quarterly publication that provides advice to various stakeholders in the agricultural community on the impact of political risk in South Africa on their environment. 
  • South Africa - Department of Trade and Industry (the dti): Training of delegates from the dti on the TRADE-DSM® methodology and the TRADE-DSM Navigator®. 
  • South Africa - North West Provincial Government Department of Finance, Economy and Enterprise Development (FEED): Development of a pre-feasibility study for a Mahikeng agro-processing special economic zone (SEZ).
  • South Africa - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF): Realistic export ppportunity analysis for the international  vegetable and juices  industry  priority market study (export development) - strategy inputs from the TRADE DSM®. 
  • South Africa - Mpumalanga Provincial Government Department of Economic Development and Tourism: Review of Mpumalanga’s trade and investment promotion strategy.
  • South Africa - Department of Trade and Industry (the dti): Development of a comprehensive strategic framework and action plan for the export development and promotion of South Africa’s services sectors.
  • South Africa – City of Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA): Production of an international trade export promotion and investment promotion intelligence report. 
  • South Africa - National Agricultural Marketing Council: Identification of high quality markets and value chains for small-scale and emerging beef cattle farmers in South Africa.
  • South Africa - North West Provincial Government Department of Finance, Economy and Enterprise Development (DEED): Compilation of a strategic report defining the potential role and contribution of the ACT (Agriculture, Culture and Tourism) industries and Villages, Towns and Small Dorpies (VTSD) in boosting provincial and local economic development.

2015

  • South Africa - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF): Realistic Export Opportunity Analysis for the International agricultural products in the major group HS08 - Edible fruit and nuts, peel of citrus fruit or melons priority market study (export development) - strategy inputs from the TRADE DSM®. 
  • Botswana - Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC): Development of a Botswana TRADE-DSM™ (Decision Support Model) based on the existing TRADE-DSM™ methodology 
  • South Africa - ABSA Wildlife project: Contribution to a book 'Game ranch profitability in South Africa' involving the provision of valuable information on the industry's structure, drivers, growth and profitability in the private game ranching segment
  • South Africa - North West Provincial Government Department of Economic and Enterprise Development (DEED): Development of an integrated manufacturing strategy for the North West Province 
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Updating of the inventory of export restrictions on industrial raw materials.

2014

  • Mozambique - Zed Group Ltd: Realistic export opportunity analysis for agro-processing value chain components into potential East-African markets study - strategy inputs from the TRADE DSM®.
  • Tanzania - Zed Group Ltd: Realistic export opportunity analysis for agro-processing value chain components into potential East-African markets study - strategy inputs from the TRADE DSM®.
  • Netherlands - Maastricht School of Management: Identification of export opportunities for the Netherlands to diversify and grow its exports. 
  • South Africa - Western Cape destination marketing, investment and trade promotion agency (Wesgro): The development of market strategies for Angola and Nigeria
  • South Africa - North West Provincial Government Department of Economic and Enterprise Development (DEED): Provision of a regional economic overview detailing current realities in the North West Province. 

2013

  • South Africa - Western Cape destination marketing, investment and trade promotion agency (Wesgro): Identification of potential export opportunities of the for the Western Cape’s products and tourism services.
  • South Africa - Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN): Identification of potential export opportunities for KwaZulu-Natal’s products.
  • South Africa - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries & National Agricultural Marketing Council: Report on South Africa’s agricultural trade competitiveness. 
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