One of the key functions of ASCCI is to facilitate trade and investment in the region by working closely with all relevant organisations and agencies.

The rationale for promotion of trade and investment is to foster co-operation with private sector entities, facilitate joint ventures and partnerships, fast track and encourage foreign direct investments and to encourage Intra-Africa Trade. ASCCI will facilitate and lead the following Trade Missions in 2007 in partnership with local chambers, its chamber members and Trade and Investments Promotion Agencies in each country.

Should your company wish to participate in these trade missions please fill in the form attached in this brochure and fax to our offices, or alternatively call our offices directly
at the number reflected at the end of this brochure.

Linked to the Trade and Investment Promotion Programme, ASCCI has set up a trade portal that facilitates and enables direct trade of companies amongst themselves within the
region and in the continent.

In order to promote economic growth and development in the region, it is essential that we assist businesses in finding appropriate trading partners, opportunities and to facilitate
trade.

The ASCCI trade portal solutions comprises a platform that facilitates the much needed commerce hub. It is a fully webenabled, electronic sourcing and procurement management
solution, that allows for effective creation and management of tender documents and their related processes, as well as both reverse and forward auctions across the entire
enterprise.

ASCCI Portal’s Application Support of the Business Needs
The application provides the central database to capture ASCCI member information. This includes a portal where members can register and maintain their own information. SADC Trade Partners will be able to search for trading partners by:

• Commodity grouping
• Country / area / location
• BEE Rating
• Turnover
• Any field of information contained in the members profile
• Buyers – central access is provided to buyers by us, as and when required without having to purchase any systems or software themselves. This includes tender
  creation, negotiation, evaluation and awarding etc.
• Suppliers – all member suppliers have access to all open
  tenders posted centrally with the ability to respond
  electronically or manually.
• Member Chambers – have electronic / paper based
  access to all central tenders so as to be able to facilitate
  tender and trading partner information distribution to
  non electronic members throughout the entire region.

Provide an electronic ordering capability

• Following the workflow of a tender process, convert and
  awarded tender to a purchase order immediately by the
  click of a button.