TRADE, in association with the NWU spin-out company, TRADE Research Advisory (Pty) Ltd (trading as TRADE Advisory), has been involved in a series of export opportunity analysis and capacity-building projects over the past six months, working closely with teams from the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), Wesgro, the North West Province and Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA). The TRADE-DSM (Decision Support Model) Navigator™ has formed the basis of such engagements and feedback has been excellent, with some users also offering valuable suggestions for future refinements to the methodology.

TRADE Advisory has, in association with the Exotic Leather Research Centre at the University of Pretoria, been assisting the Exotic Leather Cluster of South Africa (referred to as ELSA) with research aimed at providing the foundation for a national export strategy for the sector, with a particular focus on crocodile and ostrich skin-related exports. Another successful project completed in recent months was the identification of EU-based companies that are investing in South Africa’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors for the UNDP.