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29 Aug, 2015

China Southern offers African buyers discounts to attend 118th Canton Fair

GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — This autumn the Canton Fair will boost Sino-African trade through the continuation of its successful partnership with China Southern Airlines (CSA). CSA is offering all African attendees discounted flights between Nairobi and Guangzhou for the 118 th session of the Fair – taking place between October 15 and November 4, 2015 . In the past, similar promotional fares were offered to buyers from countries such as Australia , New Zealand and the United States .

Those who wish to take advantage of the offer receive a 10% discount on China Southern Airlines one-way or return tickets (all fare classes). Discounted tickets are available for all African buyers to purchase from August 25 through to November 5 , following pre-registration on the Canton Fair website. Flights can be made any time from October 12 through to November 5 .

Sino-African trade relations have never been stronger. According to the official figures, China has been Africa’s largest trade partner since 2009. It is also the largest greenfield investor and second largest overseas contractor on the continent. In return, imports from Africa are increasingly critical to the Chinese economy.

As China’s most prestigious and profitable foreign trade platform, the Canton Fair has witnessed a surge in African buyers. Over 15,000 attended the 117 th session of the event, up by nearly 3% on the 116 th Fair. Eager to cash in on a Chinese “gold rush”, a growing number of Africans are now coming to China to engage in entrepreneurial activity, with Guangzhou as a popular first port of call.

The Canton Fair consistently earns rave reviews from African buyers.

“In the past I used to attend international fairs in the United States and United Kingdom ,” says Ahmed Fouad , deputy head of the export department of Egyptian Appliance Manufacturer Unionaire. “Now I come to the Canton Fair. The number of potential customers is way bigger.”

It was also through the Canton Fair that Said Salim Hemed , a buyer from Tanzania , founded a win-win partnership with the Hubei Zigui Diyuan Canned Food Company.

“The Fair is a great way to seal win-win deals with our African counterparts,” says Zigui Diyuan’s general manager Hou Jiaqiang.

For further information on the 118 th Canton Fair please visit: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.asp

For further information on the Nairobi – Guangzhou promotion please visit: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/csair/index.shtml