The SAIBL program has generated more than US$600 million (R3.6 billion) in business transactions for South African and American companies. It has helped create more than 11,000 jobs.

Overview | Program Brochure | Services | Success Stories | Contacts

SAIBL Newsletters:
 

February 2004 | March 2004 | April 2004 | June 2004 | August 2004

February 2005 | June 2005

Overview

With a ten-fold increase in global trade, South Africa is one of the most promising markets in the world and Africa’s most developed economy. SAIBL provides a gateway to this market and to the rest of Africa. SAIBL empowers business through trade and investment partnerships between historically disadvantaged (Individuals discriminated against under apartheid)  South African small and medium enterprises and U.S. companies, South African corporations, and multinationals.

For historically disadvantaged South African companies, SAIBL offers training and business capacity support. SAIBL mentors growth-oriented enterprises to become locally and internationally competitive, and introduces them to new markets and buyers.

For U.S. companies, South African corporations, and multinationals, SAIBL identifies pre-screened South African partners and suppliers.

SAIBL brings together qualified business partners and suppliers for:

• Procurement contracts and tenders
• Import/export
• Distributorships
• Trade and marketing partnerships
• Licensing and franchising
• Equity investments
• Joint ventures

Historically disadvantaged South African companies
SAIBL supports historically disadvantaged South African small and medium companies to access local and international markets. SAIBL provides training, business support services, and funding for these companies to meet international standards of management, quality, and competitiveness. SAIBL services include:

• Training and mentorship
• Business planning
• Identifying private and public financing programs
• Business-to-business partnerships
• Exhibition and tradeshow support
• Proposal development for tenders
• Productivity improvements, quality assurance, and accreditation
• Information on trade protocols and incentives
• Marketing strategies and alleviating constraints to market access.

U.S. companies, South African corporations, and multinationals
For these companies, SAIBL identifies procurement sources and promotes business partnerships with South Africa’s historically disadvantaged companies. SAIBL services include:

• Identifying qualified suppliers of goods and services
• Screening of qualified business partners based on company criteria
• Import/export facilitation
• Supporting suppliers to meet buyer requirements
• Identifying trade and investment opportunities
• Identifying private and public financing programs.

Agribusiness

With agricultural experts based across South Africa, SAIBL’s Promoting Agribusiness Linkages (PAL) component helps historically disadvantaged agribusinesses gain access to mainstream commercial markets in South Africa and internationally. SAIBL also opens doors for U.S. businesses seeking trade and investment partnerships in South Africa’s robust agricultural sector.

SAIBL’s Washington, D.C.-based agribusiness team identifies potential business opportunities involving products such as beverage and cosmetics ingredients, wines, cheeses, seafood, and natural plant products.
 

Regional trade

SAIBL’s regional trade program helps historically disadvantaged South African small and medium enterprises find new export markets in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Services cover various aspects of cross-border trade, customs regulations and duties,
trade terms and conditions of payment, insurances, and certification. SAIBL also provides assistance in preparing for foreign government tenders, accessing finance for export ventures, and identifying and facilitating joint ventures.

• Desta Power Matla - Energy
  Desta Power Matla, a South African manufacturer of electrical transformers, serves approximately 350 clients, ranging from municipalities and shopping centers to small contractors. SAIBL helped provide Desta’s more than 200 employees with adult basic education and literacy classes. SAIBL also worked with Desta to develop its business plan, obtain financing, and export into the rest of Africa.

• Petite Designs - Furniture
  Petite Designs is an award winning producer of high-end furniture, with clients worldwide, including top hotels, embassies, casinos, and airports. Petite Designs is also a leading supplier of custom designed furniture to exclusive homes in South Africa. SAIBL funded training and travel costs to U.S. trade shows and helped Petite Designs meet AGOA requirements, empowering it to export to the United States for the first time.

• Lindiwe Wines - Agribusiness
  Lindiwe Wines was established to penetrate the highly competitive South African and international wine markets. SAIBL helped Lindiwe Wines attend international trade fairs and to develop a marketing strategy for South Africa, the United States, and other markets. As a result, the company’s wines are now sold internationally and carried by Spar and Pick’n Pay, two of South Africa’s largest retail outlets.

• Yenza Manufacturing - Automotive
  Yenza Manufacturing is one of South Africa’s first historically disadvantaged enterprises to manufacture parts for the international automotive industry. The company supplies chassis support brackets, battery trays, and other components to three auto giants in South Africa—DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, and Volkswagen. SAIBL helped Yenza develop its quality management system and funded training and travel to overseas trade shows.

• KPL Aluminum and Die Casting - Manufacturing
  KPL Aluminum and Die Casting is a woman-owned manufacturer of bathroom accessories, hinges for refrigerators, and spindles and ferrules for the automotive industry. SAIBL helped KPL win a $1.25 million (R7.5 million) contract by providing assistance in obtaining ISO 9002 certification. The contract was recently renewed for $4.5 million (R27 million). KPL founder Sally Marengo received the Outstanding Entrepreneurial Achievement Award from South African President Thabo Mbeki in 2001.

Tim Bergstrom, Project Director, Washington, Corporate Council on Africa
Phone: 202/835-1115   Fax 202/835-1117 email: tbergstrom@africacncl.org

John James, Project Director, Johannesburg,  ECIAfrica
Phone: +27 11 802 0015   Fax: +27 11 802 1101 email: john.james@eciafrica.com
 

* SAIBL is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by the Corporate Council on Africa, in partnership with ECIAfrica.