São Paulo – The 31st Khartoum International Fair closed last Thursday (6th) after earning good contacts to the participating Brazilian companies. Hair cosmetics company Kans BR attracted the interest of dozens of Sudanese women by conducting workshops at beauty parlours, while electrical showers by Fame were welcomed as a novelty by the local population.
“Several Sudanese women crowded the Kans BR stand during the days of the fair. The demand was such that product workshops were conducted at two different local salons,” says Rafael Abdulmassih, the Business and Markets manager at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The Arab Brazilian Chamber organized the Brazilian stand alongside the Foreign Ministry.
In Sudan, the businesswoman Katia Timani, owner of Kans BR, also spoke with representatives from Caresse, a local manufacturer and distributor that operates mainly with essences, hydratants and colognes.
Electrical showers by Fame were also a highlight at the fair in Khartoum. “Almost every household in Sudan has an external heater, such as boilers. Other houses are heated by external units that resemble electrical panels, take up more space, and are less economical. Electrical showers were considered ‘clever and innovative,’ according to several visitors,” Abdulmassih explains.
Another company at the Brazilian stand, the Sudanese-Brazilian CTC, which imports agricultural machinery from Brazil, was contacted by several customers, many of whom already import via the company, while others were looking for product information.
Outside the fair, Maria Prado, a trader for Fame, met with executives from Bejafar Brothers, one of the premier conglomerates in Sudan. According to Abdulmassih, the Bajafar group is widely active in advertising, food, pharmaceuticals, building material, and machinery. “Fame had a good rapport with this Sudanese company,” she says.
Also in parallel to the event, Timani met with the director of the Raheeg Medical Group, which specializes in pharmaceuticals and toiletry items. “They had a comprehensive discussion on business possibilities, penetration of their distribution network, and the advantages of Brazilian products, among other topics,” says Abdulmassih.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
