Buon Natale e Felice
Anno Nuovo

Christmas Letter

As the holiday season approaches and 2024 draws to a close, we at ItalCham would like to reflect on a year filled with impactful initiatives that have strengthened our role as a vital bridge between Italy and South Africa.

Here’s a look at what we accomplished together this year: Excellence is a journey, not a destination. The 25th edition of the Business Excellence Awards was one highlight of the year, where the journey of individuals and businesses to innovate, survive, and grow was celebrated. A final congratulations to Mirella K. Corsetti, honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Slingshot Consulting, recognised as the SME of the year, Savino Del Bene, awarded Enterprise of the Year, and Matteo Brambilla, CEO of Red Rocket, as Business Person of the Year.

This year, ItalCham led delegations to major trade expos like Ecomondo, SIGEP, and K.EY, opening doors to cutting-edge Italian innovation in green energy, sustainable technologies, and food industries. Moreover, these delegations have reinforced the Chamber’s role as a key facilitator of trade and innovation, bringing Italian expertise to South Africa while supporting local businesses in their growth.

This November, the Cape Quarter, in De Waterkant, was transformed into a piece of Italy, bursting with life, laughter, and the aroma of authentic Italian cuisine during the Italy in Town Festival. It wasn’t just a festival, it was a love letter from Italy, delivered to South Africa that united two cultures through food, wine, art, and tradition bringing together thousands of people. The success of the first edition has lit the spark for another Italy in Town Festival in 2025.

If 2024 was about laying the foundation, then 2025 will be about building bridges that last. This year has laid the groundwork for a future where Italian businesses can thrive in South Africa, leveraging opportunities in energy, agriculture, retail and more. As we embrace the holiday season, we wish you and your families a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year. May 2025 bring continued success, new opportunities, and stronger bonds between Italy and South Africa.

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo

bridging opportunities: a call for collaboration

Italcham is proud to support an exciting new initiative designed to connect South Africa’s two Italian Studies Departments, at Wits University and the University of Cape Town (UCT), with Italian businesses operating in the country. With the backing of the Embassy of Italy in Pretoria, the Consulate General in Johannesburg, and the Italian Consulate in Cape Town, the Bridging Opportunities project seeks to create a pipeline between graduates specializing in Italian Studies and the business community.

Through this collaboration, Italcham aims to identify companies willing to host interns for periods of two to six months. These students, having completed their Bachelor’s Degrees with a Major in Italian Studies, are eager to apply their skills in real-world settings, bridging academic learning with professional development.

At a time when youth unemployment in South Africa is at critical levels, this initiative offers Italian businesses a unique opportunity to make a difference while gaining fresh talent with a unique cultural perspective. Moreover, the project has the potential to attract more students to Italian Studies, strengthening the academic foundation of the language and its culture in South Africa.

We invite all businesses with ties to Italy to join us in supporting this initiative. If your company is interested in hosting an intern and contributing to this valuable pipeline, please contact us at sg@italcham.co.za - together, let’s build opportunities that benefit students, companies, and the broader South African-Italian community.

call for submissions: multilingual short story anthology

The Sections of Italian Studies and African Languages and Literatures at the University of Cape Town, in partnership with the Section of Italian Studies and the Section of Translation and Interpretation Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, with the support of the Italian government authorities in South Africa, invite young writers and illustrators to participate in a groundbreaking multilingual project.

The proposed anthology, "Freedom" (Inkululeko : Libertà), seeks to showcase the creativity of young writers in Italian, isiXhosa, and isiZulu. The project aims to promote multilingual and multicultural cooperation amongst the South African youth, fostering a dynamic conversation between languages and cultures.

We invite young people aged 18-25 to submit original short stories in Italian, isiXhosa, or isiZulu, accompanied by an English translation. Illustrators aged 18-25 are also encouraged to submit illustrations for consideration.

A panel of editors will select the best three short stories in each language, as well as the best illustrations and each will receive a prize of R10 000. The selected stories and illustrations will be published in a multilingual anthology, scheduled for release in 2025. The book will be widely distributed in bookstores across South Africa and Italy.

Registration before the 31st of January, Stories and Illustrations submission BEFORE the 18th OF MARCH 2025.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and to celebrating the diversity and creativity of South African youth.

key energy 2025
buyers programme

Building upon the achievements of our 2024 mission to the KEY Exhibition in Rimini, ItalCham is now inviting applications for the 2025 Delegation from South Africa to attend KEY - The Energy Transition Expo. Organized by IEG - Italian Exhibition Group, this event focuses on technologies, services, and integrated solutions for energy efficiency and renewable energy. It serves as a platform to spotlight the acceleration of energy and climate policies, as well as the emerging opportunities in the market.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHEN: 5-7 March 2025

WHERE: Rimini Expo Centre, Italy

KEY25 will showcase top companies specializing in services, solutions, and technologies within the energy sector, including solar, storage systems, wind, hydrogen, mobility, and energy efficiency, extending to smart cities. The event will also feature dedicated areas for cross-sector projects, networking, innovation, and training opportunities.

Benefits for Selected Companies: