Mauritian business opportunities explored

BUSINESS NEWS - A chance encounter between a Fancourt Hotel guest and a shuttle driver working for the hotel led to a Mauritian delegation visiting George and other towns in the Garden Route to meet with local businesses to explore trade and collaboration with Mauritius in some key sectors.

In May, the senior vice president of the global business division of Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), Ravi Bhuruth, was staying at Fancourt when he was a guest speaker for a conference hosted by Moore South Africa.

On his way from the airport, a chat with the driver revealed some information about international exports of local produce, such as strawberries. This set Bhuruth thinking about the possibility of introducing potential business opportunities to entrepreneurs in George and surrounds.

He followed through and was in the Garden Route last week for a series of presentations, along with Anwar Edoo of Moore Mauritius. They did presentations in Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay, Knysna and George.

Fanus Truter (Moore Southern Cape), Ravi Bhuruth (MCB), Anwar Edoo (Moore Mauritius), George Business Chamber Chairperson Johannes Jumat, Paul Hoffman (H2P Project Management), Chamber Manager Irene Koegelenberg and Cllr Iona Kritzinger.

A director of Moore South Africa, Georgian Fanus Truter, local business consultant Paul Hoffman of H2P Project Management, representing the Garden Route International Trade Forum, and the George Business Chamber collaborated to co-ordinate the visit. Two sessions were held at the Hussar Grill in George on Wednesday 15 October.

Edoo did a presentation on ways of investing in Mauritius and accessing business and exporting opportunities, and tax implications, while Buruth discussed financing options as well as the facilitating of export and import transactions to and from African countries.

Among the prospects that local businesses can explore are agricultural exports to the island, opportunities in the manufacturing and marine industry as well as in the ICT and financial services sector, and collaboration in tourism and hospitality through joint ventures, training exchanges or shared marketing.

According to Hoffman, there is interest from local business. A number of people have already indicated that they would like to conduct further investigations and that they will get in touch with the delegation.""

Guests who attended the session: Albertus Hamman (Lead Business Advisory), Hugo Naudé (Spar), Herman Botha (Crest) and Paul Manson-Kullin (Golden Circle Investments).