ECDC online portal secures international orders

"Since being listed on Global Sources through ECDC, I've got orders for many items such as knitted gloves, thermal underwear, gift bags and scarves from places like Mexico, Austria, New Zealand and Indonesia," says Oelofse who has now started implementing strategies to expand her business. She is convinced that she would not have received the trade leads or gained any global exposure had she had not been listed on the E-platform.

She recalls how Siphelo Mbomboyi, a trade promotion officer at ECDC, persuaded her to advertise her products on E-platform. "He did his best to help me to register my business and list my products on E-platform. In the beginning, I was sceptical and I thought it was not for me."

Extending her reach

For Oelofse, the benefits of ECDC's marketing tool have allowed her to extend the reach of her business to other women nearby her area. "I could not possibly fill those orders so I am training other women to knit and crochet for me so that I can produce more." In the process, she is transferring skills and promoting mohair products to the locals as well.

Oelofse has recently received an invitation to exhibit her wares in the UK.

Further support for SMEs

Mbomboyi says the success of E-platform as a marketing tool lies in its ability to expose the seller's products to a pool of buyers that they would otherwise not have been able to reach.

"Once listed, the product is exposed to a community of 854 860 registered buyers. Aspirant exporters or manufacturers are assessed for export readiness which is a tool that is incorporated within the E-platform.

"If they are not ready, we don't just leave them. We assist them or link them up with other stakeholders such as a development agency like SEDA which gives them comprehensive export training," he adds.

Any export-ready business that has been in business for at least two years and understands the logistics aspect of business can list on E-platform. The business has to be registered with Customs and Excise (SARS) for export certification.