Dr Muthikhitha Thiofhi, agribusiness consultant and seller of organic avocados, macademia nuts and honey at Agricre Ltd, has already had good experience with the contacts he has made through his participation in Partnering in Business with Germany. “Networking is extremely important: when it comes to doing business with Germany, for example, it is important to network with former programme participants in order to be able to offer the large quantities that German importers need,” said Mr Thiofhi, describing his experience. “I am an avocado producer. But to be able to deliver the required quantities, I had to involve other farmers and train them on the required quality standards.” Mr Thiofhi supplies 288 tonnes a year to his German business partner, Eurogroup Deutschland GmbH.

Over the course of the event, it became clear that strategic networking can be used purposefully to achieve one’s own goals and that success factors include digital marketing partnerships and, in the age of e-commerce, increasingly cross-promotional activities. The managers reflected on their existing contacts and learnt how crucial the right mix of operational, personal and strategic contacts is for developing an effective network and thus for achieving their professional goals. At the same time, the managers used the event to present their products to each other at market stalls and to get to know each other. “The networking workshop was an overall success for my company, as I was able to make contacts with important business people,” said an alumni from South Africa, summarising the event.