On behalf of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, I have great pleasure in officially endorsing the inaugural TOC Africa which took place at the Durban ICC on 5 – 6 December 2017.
We are delighted that the TOC conference, trade exhibition and networking event is came to this very important region; which is undertaking enormous investment in capacity expansion of its major commercial ports over the next seven years - to support the projected increases of cargo volume that the country will see.
TOC Events Worldwide prides itself on ensuring that it holds its shows in areas that are of vital importance to the industry and, by organising this event in Durban, TOC is basing itself in South Africa’s main container gateway which is undertaking the biggest project expansion in the country - with some R74 billion being invested into new port and terminal facilities.
Transnet, South Africa’s major integrated freight transport company, has long been a supporter of TOC. Speaking to the media at TOC Europe in Hamburg last year, Karl Socikwa, CEO at Transnet Port Terminals said “
We aim to attend TOC every year. This provides a platform where we can meet with the key players in the industry.”
The Province of KwaZulu-Natal along with Transnet looks forward to hosting the inaugural TOC Africa, which will bring together cargo owners, logistics, liner shipping, ports, terminals, inland transport, finance, equipment manufacturers and other stakeholder groups to discuss the evolution of regional maritime container logistics, transport and supply chain operations and the equipment and technology that facilitates global trade.
In addition to the international audience that TOC delivers, we in KwaZulu-Natal will also be reaching out to our counterparts across the continent to ensure that TOC Africa is a truly pan-African event. We have no doubt that our hosting of the inaugural TOC Africa in Durban will help to bring physical expression to the “Africa Rising” narrative by enabling Africa’s ports and port cities to contribute to Africa’s growth and development agenda.
As the province of KwaZulu-Natal, working together with TOC, we will deliver a peerless networking programme including 5 star lunches and a glittering gala dinner in addition to smaller more focused VIP events. Special guests will include senior members of the South African government as well as a member of the Zulu Royal Family.
Mr Sihle Zikalala
MPL MEC for Economic Development,Tourism & Environmental Affairs
Province of KwaZulu-Natal
The show in Africa was a great opportunity to present ourselves on an aspiring continent. We were pleased about President Zuma's visit and to show our solutions to a new community.
Well-organized, thoughtful discussions from across the continent.