The alcoholic beverage manufacturer showcased products such as Takai, Mandingo, Herb Afrik, Castle Bridge, Apet Dry Gin which were well received by participants who visited their stand.

The participants were especially impressed by the cocoa and coffee flavoured Takai and Apet Dry Gin and some of them pledged to become distributors for GIHOC.

The IATF hosted at Durban’s ICC Complex from November 15-21, brought together businesses, traders, exhibitors, and consumers across the African continent including Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Togo, Algeria, Rwanda for an opportunity to promote their business and to network on the  theme  “Building bridges for a successful AfCFTA.”

GIHOC’s participation forms part of the company’s plan to pursue an aggressive export agenda and to place the company’s products beyond the shores of Ghana and the West-African sub-region.

Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union(AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, it also provided GIHOC first-hand experience of the potential and promise of the AfCFTA, as they interacted with buyers, sellers, and stakeholders on trading and investment opportunities across the continent.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr Charles Owiredu, touting the quality of GIHOC’s products said that it stood tall among its peers and urged all the participating countries to purchase the drinks.

“You have a lot of people at the stands and they are going for Takai. You have a lot of people across the globe here to taste what Ghana has to offer and I must say that they stood out. It is refreshing that, at least, people thronged in to come and taste what GIHOC had to offer and I’m hopeful it left a good impression on them,” he stated.

A Deputy Media Relations Manager of GIHOC, Ms Araba Aggrey, said the positive reviews and wide acclaim of GIHOC’s products had impressed upon the company to initiate a move to establish a depot in South Africa.

“We have decided to establish our presence here because the foreigners have accepted our products and they have expressed interest in the products, especially our Takai and the “Apeteshie” which has been double distilled,” she said.

A South African participant who sampled the GIHOC products and reveled in its quality indicated his readiness to engage them for business ventures.

“This one (Takai) is number one, it’s perfect. I just need more of this. I have tasted a lot of products from Europe and other places. But this one is the best. I am thinking of importing them from Ghana because I’m from the other part of South Africa and so maybe I can do business with this,” the person, said.

Ghana was represented at the fair by the Ministry of Trade and Industries, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), and the Ghana Export and Promotions Authority (GEPA).