Are you ready to export?
With all the rules, regulations and restricting governing the export of products out of South Africa, it’s important that you are quite sure that your business is equipped and ready to start trading outside the country’s borders.
The Department of Trade and Indsutry website contains information about becoming an exporter; both how to and why you should or shouldn’t.
In order to become an exporter, you should be in at least one of the following two situations:
You hold a strong position at the buyer's end. You either have a special relationship with an international buyer or you have the necessary expertise for specific markets and have the ability to secure markets for a variety of products.
If you are in this position, you would be referred to as a procurement agent or middleman (general trader). You would normally work according to a buyer's shopping list, or respond to international tenders, and would not necessarily have expertise in the products being bought.
And/or you should have a product, range of products or guaranteed access to the product, and have expertise in trading in that specific product. Ideally, you’ll be selling the product in the domestic market already and now wish to expand to international markets, so exporting is merely an extension of your business operations.
If all this is in place, your success in international markets will be dependent on two main considerations:
Is your business export ready? And
Is your product export ready?
Before you begin the process of registering as an exporter, visit the The dti website for online export readiness assessment tools, articles and documentation needed for exporting.
Source: The Department of Trade and Industry website