FLORIDA’S ROBUST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE NETWORK AND ITS IMPACT ON TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA
BY ABIGAIL ELLARY
SelectFlorida is the principal economic development agency for the state of Florida. Its mission is to promote the state as a premier business destination and a global hub for finance, transportation, international trade, investment, and culture.
A key initiative that helped Florida to create such an attractive and competitive business environment is its robust international office network of 17 offices in 13 countries which include Africa Regional Office located in Durban, South Africa and a satellite office in Tanzania.
Florida is one of the first U.S. States to establish presence in Africa through a representative office which opened in the 90s, signaling the state’s interest to deepen commercial ties with the continent and to prioritize the region as a strategic market for Florida.
The Africa Regional Office serves as a bridge to foster bilateral trade between Florida and African countries but more importantly, its core functions include providing support to Florida companies to evaluate opportunities and to gain access to the African market while helping African companies to invest and do business in Florida.
Furthermore, the regional office facilitates Florida’s engagement with governments, educational institutions, industry associations, chambers of commerce, sister cities, airports, and seaports among others to enhance technical and cultural exchange.
As a result, total merchandise trade between Florida and South Africa has witnessed a decent growth over the years standing at $305 million in 2023, making it Florida’s number one trading partner in the continent and 62nd largest partner overall.
Florida’s exports to South Africa were $132 million in 2023. Leading export commodities include aircraft, chemical wood pulp, plastics, car parts and orthopedic appliances. It also recorded total import volume of $173 million from South Africa in 2023. Main import commodities were yachts, iron, steel, ice cream, essential oils and jewelry.
With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and an expanded presence of SelectFlorida’s office in East Africa, trade between Florida and Africa is poised for growth.
The representative office structure in strategic global markets has paid off. Today, Florida is the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in the Southeast United States, and fifth in the U.S. for employment at foreign-owned companies. Its $1.5 trillion-dollar economy is the 4th largest among U.S. States and would be the 14th largest economy in the world, if measured as a country.
