The EU seminar hosted in South Africa on 18-19 May 2022 saw government officials, media and industry officials in imports, commerce, retail, hospitality and consumer organisations come together collaboratively to learn and benefit from the EU’s Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) standards for agri-food production.

The EU’s SPS is world-renowned for guaranteeing that European products exported are always safe, traceable, and of the highest possible quality. The vast growth of trade in agri-food products between Europe and South Africa, as perpetuated by the Economic Partnership Agreement, highlights the importance of following safety and quality standards between the flow of import and export goods.

With 120 attendees in tow (30 of whom joined online), the interactive seminar looked at aspects like mutual trade benefits, the need for policy consistency and predictability and the demand for high-quality products, all to foster further relations between the EU and South Africa.

From live debates on how to fortify EU-South Africa trade relations on agri-food products to group discussions on the exponential growth of EU agri-food exports to South Africa to improving agri-food businesses as a whole and sustainable development, all participants were given treasured insights into how their businesses can successfully leverage quality, safety and sustainability of European products in a South Africa market. Speakers also highlighted the importance of being in tune with the very varied South African consumer market.

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The seminar also featured a home-grown eclectic African touch with an entertaining cooking show by the acclaimed local chef Katlego Mlambo and MasterChef judge Pete Goffe-Wood, both of whom gave selected EU food products a uniquely African twist.