“Brand discrimination, after-sales issues hamper Indian business in South Africa”

New Delhi, Sept 23: A manner of ‘brand discrimination’ against Indian companies and possible after-sales service issues often result in bad business for Indian ventures into South Africa. These issues came into focus during an interaction session held between corporate honchos and top South African officials in New Delhi last evening. Deliberating on ‘Emerging Business Opportunities in South Africa’ organised under the aegis of business chamber FICCI and South African High Commission here, it was brought to light by Indian business heads that often Indian companies face “brand discrimination” in South Africa vis-a-vis companies and products from countries like the United States. “This could be a perception level issue but it hampers business,” one of business heads of a leading Indian manufacturing company said and sought “creation of platform” to redress such grievances. At the session attended among others by Deputy High Commissioner of South Africa to India Ben Joubert, the Minister Counsellor-Economic Recado Andrew said, possibly such complaints have come from farming community in South Africa essentially on tractors and the spare parts. “The perception you have mentioned .....might be due to after sales-perception. In South Africa what we have found is after-sales issues and the access,” Mr Andrew said trying to assure the gathering that there is no discrimination as such. “We have found that farmers have complained in the past, not having after-sales services and access to parts....These parts should be accessible when they require,” he said adding, it is therefore for the respective companies to “change the perception”. “South Africa is an open market,” he said and maintained that any ventures having such issues with end users can work with economic departments that can provide “platforms” to address the issues. He asserted that South Africa offers a “free market” wherein the government apparatus does not interfere in the affairs of private sector. “We only try to create conducive atmosphere for companies to do business,” he added. UNI