Companies working in construction, environmental services and project management could find significant business opportunities in South Africa linked to the country's hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
That was the opinion of Frank Ryan, chief executive of Enterprise Ireland, as the State agency's five-day trade mission drew to a close yesterday. "South Africa is going to need outside help to stage this event, particularly management consultants."
He noted Enterprise Ireland was arranging a major conference in London in November to advise Irish companies on how they could exploit the English capital's hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games.
"We now intend to introduce those companies to decision-makers in South Africa because there are big opportunities here."
Aside from the World Cup, South Africa's strong growth rate and stable business environment meant it was "a role model for the continent and perhaps for some countries beyond the continent," Mr Ryan noted.
"In the next five to seven years, if you ask what markets will be really strategically important to Ireland places like South Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Brazil come onto the radar screen."
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, who accompanied Enterprise Ireland on the visit, spent yesterday in Cape Town where he met a member of Irish construction firm Howard Holdings. The company's South African offshoot Eurocape is due to open the first phase of a €50 million mixed-development project in the city next month.
Mr Martin also oversaw the signing of heads-of-agreement between a Mayo electronics firm and a Cape Town manufacturing company on the supply of Irish-made heating wire for electric blankets.
Sean Doherty of Ballina-based Heatsolve said the deal would strengthen the company's business links with South Africa, which was already yielding sales for it of up to €2 million a year.
Enterprise Ireland, which has been supporting the company since it was formed in 2004 by a number of employees of a US-controlled multinational that had pulled out of Ireland, is spending €350,000 with Heatsolve on research and development so the company can further exploit opportunities in the home-heating market.
Mr Doherty said Heatsolve was also in discussions about establishing a formal partnership with a Johannesburg-based firm on the supply of equipment for underfloor heating.
