The Vietnamese embassy in South Africa invited national officials and importers to Johannesburg’s Saigon restaurant on May 22 to taste different Vietnamese tra fish dishes, as part of its efforts to market this popular seafood across the country.

Chairwoman of the municipal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fay Mukaddam, provided positive feedback, assuring the embassy that tra fish is a promising area for importers, who will enjoy all possible support from the government.

Ambassador Le Huy Hoang told the Vietnam News Agency that similar marketing events will take place in the large cities of Cape Town and Durban, with Vietnamese rice also being promoted.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and South Africa soared from 54 million USD in 2002 to 1.2 billion USD last year. This marked a huge leap of more than 20 times, he said.

According to Commercial Counsellor Nguyen Hong Tien, more South African importers are eyeing Vietnamese tra fish thanks to its quality and attractive prices.

Vietnam now makes up over 90 percent of the world tra fish supply, with the US, EU and Japan as its major markets.-VNA