KZN business association urges entrepreneurs to take advantage of opportunities presented by BRICS

KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association (Kiba) members, from left, Oumesh Harisunker, Giselle Naidoo, Ronnie Veeran, Omie Singh (Kiba president), Renu Baldeo and Vishal Garib. Picture: Supplied

KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association (Kiba) members, from left, Oumesh Harisunker, Giselle Naidoo, Ronnie Veeran, Omie Singh (Kiba president), Renu Baldeo and Vishal Garib. Picture: Supplied

Published Aug 21, 2023

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Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association (Kiba) attended the BRICS Women's Business Alliance (WBA) SA Africa Trade Conference held at the Durban ICC on Monday.

BRICS is a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The aim of the Kiba delegation, made up of 20 members who attended the two-day trade conference, was to foster greater trade and investment relations with BRICS countries.

Delegates from 28 countries attended the conference and included government officials and heads of state, members of several royal families, and business people and organisations.

President of Kiba Omie Singh said the conference provided insight into fostering trade and investment opportunities with a strong focus on female entrepreneurship.

A trade exhibition provided a platform for businesses to showcase their services and products. A gala dinner and live entertainment rounded up the first day’s programme on Sunday.

The KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association (Kiba) attended the BRICS Women's Business Alliance (WBA) SA Africa Trade Conference held at the Durban ICC. Picture: Supplied

Singh said delegates enjoyed the exposure to business networking on an international scale and interactions with the key role players in industry and government.

“The trade conference marks Kiba’s second delegation attendance for the year having recently returned from attending the Exim Bank trade Conclave held in New Delhi India in June,” Singh said.

Singh encouraged business owners to step outside of their comfort zones and participate on a global level and take advantage of the BRICS conference and international trade opportunities taking place in Durban and South Africa.

According to the KwaZulu-Natal government website, in July 2020, the Russian BRICS Chairmanship launched the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (BRICS WBA) to provide a platform for women entrepreneurs to increase their economic participation and empowerment by accessing business opportunities across the BRICS nations.

The inaugural gathering of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, led by chairperson Anna Nesterova on July 20, 2020, was held via video conference. During the meeting, attendees explored ways to promote women’s entrepreneurship, identified opportunities for future collaboration within the alliance, and renewed their commitment to jointly advancing initiatives in sectors such as digital development, distance learning, tourism, health care, food processing, creative economy, green business, and light industry.

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