Fairs take importers and traders direct to source

Johannesburg exhibitors selected with great attention to buyers' expectations, organizers say

The inaugural China Homelife and China Machinex fairs, part of a global series of China product-sourcing fairs, will take place at Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa from Sept 1 to 3.

The show promises to offer a lucrative opportunity for importers, traders and buyers in southern Africa to source high-quality products directly from manufacturers at competitive prices.

The China Homelife and China Machinex fairs, organized by Meorient International Exhibitions, is the No 1 Chinese product-sourcing fair in emerging markets, now with a footprint in nine countries: Poland, Turkey, Brazil, Jordan, Dubai, India, Egypt, South Africa and Kazakhstan. Collectively, the shows this year will bring together over 5,000 exhibitors and 75,000 visitors.

Chinese exhibitors have been carefully selected and will debut a wide range of products at the Sandton Convention Centre.

"The reality is that China has access to some of the best manufacturing technology and raw materials in the world, and the product quality has substantially improved over the last few years," says Binu Pillai, chief operating officer of Meorient.

"The government focus for the next 10 years is on quality rather than quantity."

Exhibitors have been selected through a strict quality control process to ensure they meet buyers' expectations, he says. "Meorient has had to reject almost 17 companies who wanted to take part in the show because they couldn't meet the quality standards."

The China Homelife and China Machinex fairs both aim to increase trade relations between China and countries in southern Africa by offering a wide variety of quality products to top decision-makers and buyers. Together, the events will showcase eight key product sectors: Hardware and tools, building materials, home electronics and appliances, textiles and garments, furniture, lighting, escalators and elevators, and power and electricity.

Meorient has promised that the exhibitors participating in this year's shows offer some of the best quality products manufactured in China.

Falling under the China Machinex umbrella are elevator and escalator equipment, electricity supplies, plastic machinery, packaging machinery, hardware and tools, and machine tools. Importers and buyers can look forward to engaging with a wealth of quality suppliers and manufacturers who offer products such as design and paper production machinery, carton machinery, food-packing machines, electric tools, garden tools, power transmission equipment, electrical equipment, clean-energy equipment, and passenger, panoramic, home and hospital elevators.

Over the three days, buyers across all sectors will be able to make direct and profitable business contacts with leading Chinese companies and original equipment manufacturing factories, providing them with a wide variety of quality products under one roof.

The shows will allow visitors to find the right Chinese business partners, source new ideas, and strengthen the position of their company in the market. Pillai says the key success factors for China Homelife include the show's concept, the product profile of exhibitors and the selection criteria, which will ensure the highest level of quality exhibitors. Strategic networking tools such as the matchmaking program and VIP buyers' program are also unique to China Homelife and play a critical role in improving the efficiency of buyer-seller interaction, he says.

To ensure efficient networking and successful negotiations at both fairs, the matchmaking program will help buyers meet the right suppliers and find the right products to meet their business needs via pre-arranged meetings. A dedicated area on the show floor will offer free translation services between regional buyers and Chinese suppliers.

The China Homelife VIP buyers' program is an exclusive service provided to top buyers from neighboring countries and areas. These buyers will be invited to one-to-one meetings with exhibitors, while the show organizers will help buyers search for qualified suppliers from China and arrange on-site meetings for business negotiations.

The first China Homelife and China Machinex fairs aim to deliver by setting themselves apart from other trade shows when they enter the southern African market this year by connecting buyers with the right sellers and by offering high-end, quality products.

"China's trade and investment with the African region is at an all-time high, and the show is positioned to provide a sourcing platform because there is a growing demand for competitive and quality products," says Pillai.

The China-Africa Economic Forum coincides with the two shows and will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Sept 1. The event is part of the Belt and Road Economic Forum series and aims to enhance business opportunities for Chinese and African businesses in the areas of investment, technology and trade. The forum has been organized in accordance with the overall arrangements of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Shanghai city government to achieve these goals.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/21/2015 page22)