Chinese Digital Trading Takes Off

The Fresh Connections: Southern Africa Conference and Trade Show 2018 will include a special focus on identifying growth opportunities in China.

- Denene Erasmus

South Africa is an important market for China to source products and services, and competition in this field is increasing. At the Fresh Connections: Southern Africa Conference and Trade Show, which will be hosted by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) on 15 and 16 August at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, a number of prominent industry players will share crucial insights into the Chinese market.

ECONOMIC SITUATION In a market overview on exporting fresh fruit and vegetables to China that was published by the PMA in 2016, it was stated that China’s rapidly increasing fresh fruit and vegetable production and imports are driven by steady economic growth that led to a rise in overall household income in that country.

The report said that the Chinese economy would most likely continue to record 6,5% to 7%-plus GDP growth/ year over the next decade.