Itrisa
Trade in Sandton

Each course affords participants valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with doing business internationally, and successful candidates receive a qualification which is both nationally and internationally accredited. ITRISA conducts short courses and workshops in Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Sandton, Johannesburg, as well as tailored in-house training across all provinces (on request). Content covers a wide range of international trade-related topics, e.g. ITRISA is also frequently called upon to participate in trade-focused forums, working groups, technical committees and foreign international trade advisory boards, and to contribute articles to industry journals and other publications. At an international level, ITRISA currently hosts the Secretariat of the UK-registered International Association of Trade Training Organisations ( IATTO ), and its executive director is the IATTO Board director responsible for the Association’s Accreditation, Certification and Professional Designation System. ITRISA’s consultancy services provide tailored solutions to meet clients’ needs. A natural extension of education and training activities is consulting and project work. They cover most trade-related issues from export/import requirements for fresh produce and other sensitive goods, and product classification, to determining the impact of free trade agreements on a local motor vehicle assembler’s operation and the duties levied on competitive Chinese products in a local company’s various export markets. ITRISA has also assisted major corporates in personnel selection for key export managerial positions, adjudicated the annual SAAFF Young Freight Forwarder of the Year contest, headed up the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) export task team charged with the scoping of export qualifications and assisted the Transport Education & Training Authority (TETA) with the qualification scoping exercise for Supply Chain Management. The drafting of export unit standards and the production of generic course reference material against these standards for the Maritime Industry Training Board/South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF). The production of a trade promotion/development strategy for the City of Tshwane. The facilitation of duty drawbacks on certain products exported by various companies. The undertaking, in partnership with the UCT Graduate School of Business, of an exporter needs analysis, competitor analysis, and export service provider analysis in the Western Cape, and thereafter the design of an optimal business model and business plan to meet the identified needs. The project included the training of City of Cape Town officials responsible for the management and roll-out of trade programmes; and the development of a Western Cape export service provider directory. The undertaking of an export training needs analysis for the DTI, producing a proposed strategy and implementation model to meet these needs. The evaluation of the operational efficiencies of existing local Trade Points, the identification of the obstacles hindering the establishment of new Trade Points; and thereafter the provision of advice to Government on the actions needed to accelerate Trade Point effectiveness. (ITRISA has now run eight of these programmes in Durban.) The design of an export mentorship programme and a market linkages programme for Wesgro, the Western Cape Trade & Investment Promotion Agency.