ADAM IHUCHA,
CRAFTS
producers in East Africa will soon be able to sell their products to
international markets following the plans to establish an annual professional
for Business-to-Business (B2B) trade fair for Home Décor, Fashion Accessories
and Lifestyle products in the region.
Currently, there is no B2B trade
platform for the crafts sector in the whole of East African region.
The Africa and Middle East World Fair
Trade Organization (WFTO) regional director, Mr Bernard Outah said there is
need to establish B2B so that producers could easily sell their products to any
country of their choice without problem.
He said, at the moment, the only option for producers to reach
regional or international buyers is to travel around the region in search of
potential buyers or to participate in trade fairs in South Africa, West Africa
or International trade fairs in Europe or the US. He said the high cost of
participation fails most of African crafts producers from attending
international trade fairs.
“Failure to access market opportunities is one of the key
challenges that face most of African crafts producers in East African region,”
he said. According to Mr Outah, the establishment of B2B will enable East
African crafts producers to excel in the area and boost their businesses at
both local and international levels.
Meanwhile, the public has been urged to recognize the crafts
sector as a key economic sector in the region and offer required support so
that it can unfold its potentiality. CBI programme manager for the export
coaching programme in East Africa Ms Heiydy van der Ploeg said there is need to
promote and give support to craft sector so that it could help in building up
East African countries economies.
According to UNESCO, the crafts sector is the second largest
employer in the developing world behind agriculture. Most of those engaged in
crafts are majority women with little or no education.
The global crafts sector is valued at USD 34bn/- per annum and
65 percent of global crafts exports come from developing countries. East Africa
is one of the most important crafts producing regions on the African continent.
Its geographical location has made it a melting pot of different
cultures, resulting in a rich diversity of crafts skills and products.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for TradeMark East Africa
(TMEA), Mr Frank Matseart said crafts are important part of the East African
trade story but it receives little input from various stakeholders.
He added that a growing tourism sector in the region offers the
potential to sell products to tourists through souvenir and gift shops.
“Many hotels and lodges, besides sourcing products for their own
in-house gift shops also look for interior decoration products to decorate
their houses,” he said.
For the first time, professional craft trade fair is scheduled
to take place in the country from September 23rd to 25th, this year.
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