BUSINESS TRIP SOUTH AFRICA AND BOTSWANA

PRODECA - DARPA is organising a business trip to Cape Town (South Africa) and Gaborone (Botswana), taking place from 9 to 18 June 2026, with the aim of helping Catalan agri-food companies access business opportunities in premium channels in southern Africa.

PURPOSE AND FORMAT OF THE ACTIVITY

The Business Trip is organised as a collective market-exploration mission, with the aim of providing first-hand knowledge of the commercial environment and identifying opportunities.

The programme will include:

• group meetings with importers and distributors
• sessions by product family or of a cross-cutting nature
• visits to points of sale and the HORECA channel
• meetings with sector bodies and stakeholders

Activities will be carried out in a shared format among the participating companies. Individual meeting agendas are not planned.

SCHEDULE

The trip will follow this schedule:

• 9 June: Flight Barcelona - Cape Town
• 10 - 12 June: programme and market exploration in Cape Town
• 13 June: Flight Cape Town - Gaborone
• 15-17 June: programme and market exploration in Gaborone
• 18 June: Flight Gaborone - Barcelona

Catalan companies may choose to take part in one or both destinations.

MARKET CONTEXT

1. South Africa (Cape Town)

South Africa is the most developed agri-food market in sub-Saharan Africa and acts as a regional logistics and trade hub. Agri-food imports stand at around 7,000-8,000 million dollars a year, with a significant presence of imported products in consumer-facing channels.

The Western Cape region, centred on Cape Town, is characterised by:

• a strong orientation towards quality, added-value products
• an advanced, export-oriented agri-food ecosystem
• a high presence of premium retail and HORECA channels

The market has a structured and competitive distribution system, with importers and distributors operating both nationally and regionally, which makes Cape Town a strategic gateway to southern Africa.

2. Botswana (Gaborone)

Botswana is a small market but with a high level of per capita income and a stable economic environment, factors that favour consumption of quality imported products.

The country features:

• a high dependence on agri-food imports
• strong commercial integration with South Africa
• a distribution system concentrated among importers and distributors

The main channels are:

• importers/distributors (the gateway to the market)
• the HORECA channel linked to tourism and the corporate environment
• modern retail aimed at upper-middle-income consumers and expatriates

This context creates opportunities for agri-food products with premium positioning, with more limited international competition than in other markets in the region.

Strategic value of the trip

Combining South Africa and Botswana makes it possible to:

• validate the product in a mature, competitive market
• identify opportunities in an import-dependent, value-oriented market
• establish contacts with operators that have regional reach

SECTORS OF INTEREST

• Gourmet and delicatessen products
• Value-added snacks and appetisers
• Biscuits, chocolate and confectionery
• Nuts and dried fruit
• Vegetable preserves and ready meals
• Olive oils and derived products
• Cured and processed meat products
• Sparkling wines and other premium beverages

This list is indicative and not exhaustive.

COST OF PARTICIPATION

• There is no registration fee for selected companies to take part in the business trip.

PRODECA covers the costs of organisation, coordination of the collective programme and technical support throughout the activity.

The following costs will be borne by the participating companies:

• flights
• accommodation
• allowances and meals
• local transfers
• any other expense arising from participation

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Participation is open to agri-food companies based in Catalonia or with a production plant in Catalonia, with their own product and an international market focus.

Once registered, the company will receive a form to complete with detailed information about its profile and product range, in order to facilitate the organisation of the collective programme.

Before the trip, PRODECA will convene a working meeting with the participating companies in order to:

• present how the activity is organised
• share market information and operator profiles
• explain how the activities and the planned programme will work

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

• The deadline for submitting applications to participate is 25 May.

Interested companies must complete the registration form available via the link at the foot of this call.

Once the application has been received, PRODECA will contact the company to complete the information needed to organise the activity.