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Cape Town - GoMetro, a Cape Town-based business has secured export deals worth more than R100m over the next five years following a Western Cape Government trade mission earlier this year.
GoMetro focuses on technology solutions to the public transport sector and has secured export deals with a range of firms in the UK.
Earlier this year, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde led a trade mission to the UK, one of the Western Cape’s biggest trading partners, to further boost tourism, trade and investment between the two regions. Ten companies joined the mission. Wesgro set up more than 100 meetings during the visit.
Baptiste Boittiaux, head of marketing at GoMetro, said its goal is to implement flexible mobility in the region through its platform.
"We’ll be working closely with private organisations as well as the public sector, including municipalities and universities, in order to craft mobility solutions according to their needs and requirements. We are building a strong presence in the region to position GoMetro as the mobility expert to go to,” said Boittiaux.
Bilateral trade
Earlier this month UK International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, travelled to SA to boost bilateral trade. He announced an additional £1.75bn in funding for UK companies exporting to SA, as well as South African buyers of UK goods and services.
Fox met with National Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies during his visit.
As a result of Winde’s trade mission to the UK, Fox also met with him to further discuss increasing trade, investment and tourism between the Western Cape and the UK.
“In 2016, the Western Cape exported goods to the UK worth $628m and the UK is the Western Cape’s second largest export destination," said Winde.
“During our trade mission, we had several discussions with key organisations on boosting trade, investment and tourism between our regions. It was clear there are mutually beneficial opportunities for South African and UK businesses, and we committed to working together to further grow bilateral trade.
GoMetro is one of the first successes following the trade mission. Winde is aware that other companies on the mission are also in talks with UK businesses.
Wesgro CEO Tim Harris, said as Cape Town and the Western Cape’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, the agency has been on a mission to remind British businesses that the Cape is a safe, secure trade and investment destination that can provide a stable base for them to grow new markets in SA and the rest of Africa.
Our research ahead of this trip identified the UK as a market with strong demand for products and services that improve productivity, including ICT software and services that lower costs and improve business efficiencies. GoMetro’s tremendous success during this trade mission confirmed its accuracy," said Harris.
"We have even more missions planned over the next year and encourage Cape companies in need of export insights and support to contact us.”
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