Responding to continuing strong growth rates in infrastructure investments in the sub-Saharan region, Deutsche Messe's newest exhibition and conference will center around energy, water, waste water management, construction, transport, logistics, and telecommunications technology.

Hannover / Johannesburg, May 2011. Deutsche Messe is expanding its foreign activities and will be organizing its first-ever event in South Africa in 2012. The trade fair Africa Infrastructure will take place from 8 - 11 May 2012 at the ExpoCentre in Johannesburg. "South Africa is the economic focus of the entire sub-Saharan region and thus the perfect location for an event that will attract decision-makers from across this vast part of the African continent", said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, Board Member responsible for overseas tradeshows at Deutsche Messe, on Thursday on the occasion of the world's leading fair for intralogistics and materials handling CeMAT in Hannover.

With economic growth rates at a stable eight percent, countries such as Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda belong - along with China - to the fastest growing economies in the world. As Gruchow points out: "South Africa serves as a gateway to these growing African markets. The country plays an important role as a supplier of energy as well as in the transport and communications sector. We have geared the exhibition program of Africa Infrastructure precisely around these key areas." Involving a combination of both exhibition and conference, Africa Infrastructure will focus on keynote themes such as energy, water and waste water management, construction, transport and logistics, as well as telecommunications.

South Africa produces a broad range of consumer and capital goods and accounts for approx. one fifth of the GDP generated on the entire African continent. The continued growth in the GDP is driven primarily by strong domestic demand. The main growth areas are transport, energy, construction and ICT. South Africa is investing extensively in the modernization of landline communications as well as mobile networks and the development of road and rail transport. Various key projects are aimed at developing the infrastructure in the fields of renewable energy, water supply, treatment and waste water management, as well as distribution. Major importers of South African products include Germany, the People's Republic of China, the USA, Saudi Arabia and Japan.

The organizers of Africa Infrastructure are South African Show Services (SASS), Hannover Fairs International - a subsidiary of Deutsche Messe - and the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event will offer an overview of all the core infrastructure project areas and serve as a platform for export-oriented companies to present their expertise and find new business leads. Taking part in this trade show will help them enter the dynamic growth markets in the southern part of the African continent.