The Malaysian Trade Commission has confirmed it will be taking part in Petro.t.ex Africa for the first time this year, hot on the heels of Ubifrance’s announcement that it will repeat its attendance at the Expo at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. The event takes place from 14 to 16 May 2013. Malaysia and France are the most recent nations to join a growing list of countries recognising the significance of this definitive African petrochemical industry expo.

Potential Business Opportunities
“Petro.t.ex Africa 2011 was a highly productive time for us,” declares Romain da Costa, a Trade Development Advisor at Ubifrance, France’s international business development agency. “We gained excellent results from our presence, where most of our participating companies established solid business relationships with local manufacturers in the petroleum industry. Many signed contracts directly as a result of the show.” Da Costa is extremely optimistic about the outlook for the petrochemicals sector and the benefits to be gained from French companies at Petro.t.ex. “There have been some financial concerns about the South African economy, but with the upgrade to the CF2 level of the South African refineries for 2016/2018, that is an accurate indicator of the potential business opportunities we can expect.”
Ubifrance’s primary aim is to position French companies where they can develop trade links with similar South African partners. To achieve this they will be bringing 200 French companies on a trade mission to South Africa this year. Petro.t.ex Africa 2013 provides a perfect opportunity for us to establish these links - all in one place, at the same time,” says da Costa. “We will bring eight high-profile technology-focused companies to this year’s Petro.t.ex Africa to link up with local industry players who share a mutual interest in growing market share in South Africa.”

The French companies all operate in the petrochemical engineering sector and, as an example, the companies that came in 2011 showcased products and services such as IT software to the plant, power and marine industries, spherical metal balls, pumping equipment, reactors internals for petrochemicals, industrial sealing products or materials, decontactor plugs and sockets for general industrial applications and severe / harsh environments, process measurement and control, signal interfacing, hazardous areas solutions and specific hydro formed expansion joints that are not available in the country. France is currently ranked fifth among South Africa’s key global trading partners, with commitments of more than €1,8-billion in place since 1994. “This close relationship provides many opportunities for us to become part of the South African market, and Petro.t.ex Africa’s strategic positioning is the reason why we will be back whenever it runs,” says da Costa. He cites South Africa and Angola as African countries at the top of France’s priority list - South Africa for mid- and down-stream products such as the combustion gas analyser mentioned earlier, and Angola for the upstream market.

Malaysia Ventures into African Petroleum Market
The Malaysian Trade Commission will bring six specialist oil and gas industry companies to Petro.t.ex. “We want a strong presence in South Africa and being at Petro.t.ex Africa is key to achieving this,” said Shaakir Naidoo, Marketing Officer at the Malaysian Trade Commission. Malaysia’s strong trade relations with South Africa have declined somewhat since the heady days of 1994 – something Naidoo believes the show will address. “Petro.t.ex Africa 2013 will give us the opportunity to strengthen those relationships. The expo empowers us enter the gateway to Africa and explore promising markets,” adds Naidoo. “South Africa is the most advanced and politically stable country in Africa, and Petro.t.ex Africa 2013 is the ideal platform to gain access to Africa’s oil and gas industry.” Petro.t.ex Africa is one of 10 trade expos that form part of the SA Industry and Technology Fair (INDUTEC), a Hannover-style industry and technology trade exhibition. The 10 shows include  Pumps, Valves & Pipes Africa, Watertec Africa, Petro.t.ex Africa and Energex Africa – as well as exciting new additions; Intermac Africa, Manutec Africa, Smart Automation Africa, Afriplast Expo, Industrial Greentec Africa and Empowertec Africa.