Economic cooperation

The programme is in line with South Africa's initiatives for shared economic growth and skills development, ASGISA and JIPSA. The programme aims to:

• contribute to economic growth in South Africa;
• contribute to job creation in small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa;
• contribute to Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment, BBBEE; and
• promote sustainable long-term commercial relations of mutual benefit between South African SMMEs and Swedish enterprises.

Focus areas

Key focus areas are skills development, entrepreneurship, management and trade. The programme involves activities such as support to industrial schools, trainee programmes, staff exchanges and trade and export management training.

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, is funding and managing the programme with the South African Department for Trade and Industry, dti. The Swedish Trade  Council in Johannesburg and the dti are jointly responsible for carrying out the activities.

The programme also involves a range of other actors such as government departments, universities, chambers of commerce and  business promotion agencies in both countries, as well as Swedish businesses based in South Africa.

For more information visit  > www.swedishtrade.se/bec.

A global programme, Start South, supports Swedish small and medium-sized companies in establishing contacts in South Africa. For more information about Start South, visit > www.nutek.se.

South African companies that want advice on how to export their products to Sweden can consult Open Trade Gate Sweden, >www.opentradegate.se. Open Trade Gate's services are free of charge.