Workers sew woven fabric garments at Oerip Indonesia's production house in Ngawi, East Java, on Tuesday (27 August 2024). Fashion experts suggest that Indonesian wastra (traditional woven textiles) have significant potential in the international market. According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the export value of woven textiles in 2023 reached US$1.19 million, a 32 percent increase compared to US$0.91 million in 2022. ANTARA FOTO/Ari Bowo Sucipto/Spt.
Jakarta, 30 August 2024 — The 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF), slated to last on 1–3 September in Bali, will serve as a gateway for Indonesian businesses to establish strategic partnerships with African countries.
The forum, entitled “Bandung Spirit for Africa’s Agenda 2063,” will gather representatives from all 54 African countries to optimize business transaction potentials between the two regions.
To achieve this goal, the forum will host a business exhibition on 2–3 September. As of today, 103 companies and 139 entrepreneurs from Africa, as well as around 350 Indonesian entrepreneurs, have registered to participate. The exhibition will showcase four key sectors: energy, food and consumer goods, strategic and defense industries, and healthcare.
Several Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies will be involved, including PT Pertamina, Biofarma, DEFEND ID, PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN III), PT Energi Mega Persada (EMP), PT Kalbe, Tirta Ayu Spa, PT Dami Sariwana, PT Solusi Tani Makmur, and Indesso Aroma. These companies have established a strong track record in the African market.
PT Pertamina, for example, has exported its products and services to several African countries such as Algeria, Namibia, Tanzania, Gabon, Nigeria, and Angola. PT Solusi Tani Makmur has also exported its organic fertilizer products to Mozambique. Meanwhile, other companies such as Biofarma, Indesso Aroma, and Tirta Ayu Spa have also established business partnerships with various countries in Africa.
Litta Ariesca, Director of Marketing & Operations at PT Patra Jasa, highlighted the significant potential in the energy sector in Africa. “One example is Kenya, which has the eighth largest geothermal energy potential in the world,” she said on Friday (30 August 2024) in Jakarta.
Similarly, Biofarma, a leading Indonesian pharmaceutical company, has been exporting to 50 African countries, including Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, PT Solusi Tani Makmur, an Indonesian private company, has a strong track record in Africa, having exported its organic fertilizer products to Mozambique. Meanwhile, Indesso Aroma, Tirta Ayu Spa, and PT Dami Sariwana have also marketed their products and established business partnerships in Africa.
Indonesian MSMEs Participation
In addition to the major companies, the Indonesia Pavilion at the exhibition will also feature more than 15 MSMEs (UMKM) operating in the furniture, fashion, crafts, and processed foods sectors. These MSMEs, which are fostered by Bank Indonesia, BNI, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance, and the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) Womenpreneur, are ready to showcase their top products and seek potential business partners in Africa.
Initiating the business exhibition, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Indonesian representatives abroad, Trade Attachés, and ITPCs in Africa has facilitated a series of business cooperation explorations between Indonesian and African businesspeople from July to early August 2024.
This effort involved organizing a virtual business matching event which was attended by 14 companies and approximately 50 Indonesian MSMEs, along with 15 potential buyers from Africa. The African businesspeople have shown their enthusiasm to establish partnerships with Indonesian businesses, be it as exporters/aggregators, technology project collaborators, or in human resource training partnerships.
Additionally, African businesspeople have expressed interest in exploring potential investments of Indonesian companies to establish factories in Africa. Products that are particularly popular among African businesses include skincare products, hijabs, coffee, processed foods, and custom furniture.
To enhance two-way trade between Indonesia and Africa, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited representatives from African countries, specifically the Republic of Zimbabwe and the United Republic of Tanzania, to open booths at the business exhibition.
In 2023, bilateral trade between Indonesia and Zimbabwe was valued at US$85.1 million, showing a 5.32% increase over the past five years. The same year, trade with Tanzania reached US$317.8 million, a 5.21% increase over the past five years.
Indonesia's top commodities exported to Zimbabwe include textiles, household appliances, and food products. In contrast, the main exports to Tanzania are palm oil, paper, textiles, and chemical products.
The exhibition is expected to open up further opportunities for cooperation and collaboration to improve trade between the two regions. (Infomed Kemlu/TR/Elvira Inda Sari/WW/PR).
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For more information, please contact:
Director for Information and Media Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Hartyo Harkomoyo (0811831899)
Get more information at https://infopublik.id/kategori/hlf-msp-iaf