South Africa Promotes Wines, Cuisine and Culture in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - The Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa Pieter Vermeulen is scheduled to meet Cebu businessmen next week. Ambassador Vermeulen will promote the South Africa Food & Wine Festival in Cebu with the theme “Come celebrate South Africa, a Calabash of Cape Wine, Cuisine and Culture” which will be held at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa on September 24 – 27, 2009.

A Business Lunch and Press Conference will also be organized on the 24th of September 2009 at Laguna Garden Café, Ayala Terraces. Ambassador Vermeulen will do a presentation on doing business in South Africa, and will also feature the tourism potential of the country.

“In the short few years since the establishment of the South African Embassy in the Philippines , we have already developed warm friendships and solid relations with the people of Cebu . We are proud of the diverse origins and cross-cultural influences that shaped the heritage of our rainbow nation and we are excited to bring it to life right here in Cebu.” Ambassador Vermeulen said.

“In addition to our cuisine and wines, one of the highlights will be the performance of UMZANSI GUMBA - it is the first time ever that our Embassy brings a music and dance group from South Africa to Philippine shores. To hear the sound of Africa fill the air in Cebu is going to be quite a special experience.” Vermeulen added.

The Umzamsi Gumba Group will perform live during the South Africa Food & Wine Festival series of events. The group also performed traditional South African song and dance in Australia, Vienna, Beijing, India, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Holland.

CCCI President Samuel Chioson, fresh from a successful trade mission to Israel said, “We are happy about the continuing linkages between South Africa and Cebu as a result of our trade mission to South Africa last year. This is precisely the kind of outcome that CCCI hopes for when planning business missions abroad – to open up opportunities for trade and cultural linkages between Cebu and relatively unexplored markets in countries like South Africa and Israel,”

The CCCI-South Africa Business Council chaired by Carmel de Pio-Salvador will also announce during the business lunch the forthcoming trade mission to South Africa tentatively scheduled in May 2010. Last year, twenty five delegates participated in the 10-day trade mission to Johannesburg & Cape Town South Africa which was then a resounding success.

 “The CCCI-South Africa Business Council saw the need to organize a trade mission to South Africa for the second time to further strengthen the economic ties between the business community of Cebu and the businessmen in South Africa.” Carmel de Pio-Salvador said.

“I hope this will encourage more of our members and affiliate organizations to join us as we explore the relatively untapped market in this spectacular country” Salvador added.

Member companies, sectoral associations, and affiliate Chambers are invited to join CCCI’s Trade Mission to spectacular South Africa next year to explore possible business opportunities in the African Continent.