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A 25-member business delegation from Ghana is to embark on a two-week investment promotion mission to South Africa and explore ways of bridging the trade gap between the two countries. The mission scheduled between October 18-31, is being organised by Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), WESGRO (Western Province), Kwazulu Natal Trade and Investment and the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce of South Africa. The delegation will also be exploring business opportunities for Ghanaian entrepreneurs in South Africa, hold business seminars to discuss opportunities, as well as investment regulations, processes and procedures. There will also be dedicated one-on-one business meetings to further explore specific opportunities. Other officials undertaking the trip are from Ghana Free Zones Board and high ranking officials of the Minerals Commission, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Energy, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and private business executives engaged in energy, mining, oil and gas, agriculture and agro-processing. Currently, there are 61 registered South African companies operating in Ghana. These include MTN, AngolGold Ashanti, Shoprite, Woolworth, Game, Group Five, Stanbic Bank, SABMiller, Engen and Multichoice. The companies are involved in general trading, building and construction, manufacturing, banking, tourism and other service areas. South Africa is currently the 15th major investor country by the number of projects and the 17th by value of projects registered in Ghana. Trade between the two countries is currently heavily skewed in favour of South Africa. Mr. George Aboagye, CEO of GIPC, said the objective of the mission was to promote specific investment opportunities available in Ghana to potential investors in South Africa. "Investors from Ghana have either found it challenging or have not yet explored ways of doing business in South Africa although much could be done in that direction for our mutual benefit," Mr Aboagye said. "This imbalance is what the delegation led by GIPC in collaboration with the investment agencies in South Africa seek to address," he added. Meanwhile, the GIPC has received the Business Initiative Directions, World Quality Commitment Award (International Gold Star Category) at the World Quality Commitment Convention, in Paris, on September 21, 2009. The award received by Mr. Aboagye, the CEO on behalf of GIPC, is in recognition of quality and excellence in Customer Satisfaction, leadership and Innovation. Mr. Aboagye said the GIPC was designated to receive the award on the basis of World Quality Commitment regulations and criteria of the QC100 Total Quality Management Model. He said selected companies had all demonstrated excellence in leadership within each designated sector, increased market share, improved results, as well as sustainability. Selection for the award was on the basis of information obtained through correspondence and Online Poll Surveying of over 9000 companies, conducted by Business Initiative Directions (BID) a leading Independent organisation in the area of Leadership and Customer satisfaction based in Madrid, Spain. The Ghana Free Zones Board was the first public institution to win the award in March 2001.