The Eastern Cape’s entrepreneurial spirit continues to shine on the international stage, with six local companies exploring export opportunities at Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC) 2025, one of North America’s leading grocery and food exhibitions, which took place at the Toronto Congress Centre on 28 and 29 October 2025.
Funded by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) through the Sector Specific Assistance Fund, in partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), the trade mission to Grocery Innovations Canada 2025 aims to support emerging exporters and small businesses in accessing international markets.
The six Eastern Cape companies are Coti Chocolates (Gqeberha), Spice Kit (Gqeberha), Rocha Natural Products (Gqeberha), Tio Ze (Gqeberha), Lathitha Wines (Macleantown), and Nodayimani Investments (Macleantown). These companies will be seeking opportunities in market diversification, direct engagement with buyers and distributors, enhanced brand visibility, and improved market positioning.
“The Eastern Cape’s participation at GIC 2025 is intended to promote the province’s products to the Canadian market, explore new opportunities, and strengthen trade relations between South Africa and Canada. This is a crucial market access opportunity for local manufacturers, as GIC is attended by grocery executives, large independent retail chains, senior buyers, procurement heads, and category managers responsible for making or influencing buying decisions,” says ECDC Trade Promotion Specialist, Linda Lubengu.
Lubengu adds that shifting global trade dynamics underscore the importance of market diversification.
“Trade tensions between major economies have highlighted the need for South African exporters to reduce reliance on traditional markets. Canada presents a stable, high-income, rules-based market with growing consumer demand for authentic, natural, and ethically sourced products—an attribute that aligns closely with the Eastern Cape’s offering,” she says.
According to Lubengu, GIC offers a wide range of strategic opportunities for Eastern Cape small businesses and the ECDC, including market diversification and risk mitigation. The event enables exporters to access the Canadian and wider North American markets, reducing dependency on traditional destinations affected by global trade uncertainties. It also provides a platform for small businesses to test market perceptions, gather feedback, and holistically position their offerings.
The food and beverage sector is both an economic driver and an export opportunity for the Eastern Cape. It remains one of the most significant and resilient industries in the province, contributing meaningfully to employment, rural development, and export diversification. The province’s unique agricultural base and processing capacity provide strong foundations for sustainable and inclusive growth.
Among the participating companies is Coti Chocolates, Gqeberha’s leading chocolate manufacturer and the largest in the Eastern Cape. The company produces unique zero-added-sugar chocolates available in bars, slabs, and granola formats—all Halaal and Kosher certified. Coti Chocolates also produces South Africa’s leading baking chocolate brand, Bake & Eat, as well as the popular Peanut Butter Max bars and the COTi-branded slab range.
From Macleantown, near East London, Lathitha Wines combines exquisite wine production with a strong focus on community upliftment. Led by Managing Director Sheila Hlanjwa, Lathitha Wines aims to introduce global audiences to the exceptional taste of South African wines. The company benefits from a partnership with Hoopenburg Wine Estate, a renowned producer of high-quality, sought-after wines.
Also exhibiting at Grocery Innovations Canada 2025, is Macleantown’s Nodayimani Investments which cultivates and aggregates essential crops, including sorghum, white and yellow maize, soybeans, sugar beans, and sweet potatoes among others. The company places a strong emphasis on promoting food security while simultaneously stimulating local economies.
In addition to participating in Grocery Innovations Canada, the ECDC will also take part in the Engage Trade Africa Exhibition, taking place in Durban from 27 to 30 October 2025.
“The ECDC is leading a delegation of 20 companies from various sectors of the provincial economy to showcase the diversity and competitiveness of Eastern Cape enterprises. The participation aims to strengthen intra-African trade, promote regional value chains, and position local businesses to leverage opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” says Lubengu.
