SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Identify, initiate, develop and manage trade and investment opportunities 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
116722  Identify, initiate, develop and manage trade and investment opportunities 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Diplomacy, Protocol and Foreign Affairs Assist 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security Sovereignty of the State 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 6  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6  20 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard has as its core purpose qualifying learners with the core competencies required to identify, initiate, develop and manage trade and investment opportunities for South African businesses abroad and attracting direct foreign investment into the country. It constitutes the core business of the foreign economic representative that will advance the interests of the country in international trade and investment. Qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Identify, initiate and maintain trade and investment contacts
  • Promote South African business abroad and highlight investment opportunities in South Africa
  • Advise South African business about opportunities abroad, foreign businesses about trade opportunities in South Africa and potential investors about investment opportunities and incentives in South Africa 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Learners accessing this unit standard are assumed to have completed a level 6 qualification in the field of Business, Commerce and Management or its RPL equivalent 

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    N/A 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Identify, initiate and maintain trade and investment contacts. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    A database of trade and investment contacts is compiled in accordance with organisational policies and procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    A database of places where contacts can be made is compiled in accordance with organisational policies and procedures. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Exhibitions, Embassy functions, Seminars etc.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Various strategies (apart from being at places mentioned in organisational policies and procedures) of making contacts are explained and demonstrated as per the requirements of organisational policies and procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Records of contacts are maintained and updated as per the requirements of organisational policies and procedures. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Promote South African businesses abroad and highlight investment opportunities in South Africa. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Trade and investment enquiries are handled competently, courteously and with tact 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Market research is conducted and reports are generated (on behalf of clients) in accordance with the prescripts of organisational policies and procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Various methods of advertising (as prescribed by the relevant foreign country) to market South African products and highlight investment opportunities and incentives in the country are demonstrated 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Seminars to promote South African business and highlight investment opportunities and incentives in South Africa are organized and facilitated in accordance with the prescripts of the organisation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Trade missions from and to South Africa are organized and hosted in accordance with the prescripts of the organisation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Trade promotion visits are arranged and held in accordance with the annual plan. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Visits by business people and dignitaries to and from South Africa are handled competently, courteously and with tact as per the prescripts of the organisation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 8 
    Information about tenders is submitted timeously and in accordance with the prescripts of the organisation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 9 
    Participation by South African business (National pavilions or individual participation) in trade exhibitions is arranged and effected as prescripts of the organisation. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Advise South African business about opportunities abroad, foreign businesses about trade opportunities in South Africa and potential investors about investment opportunities and incentives in South Africa. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Advice about business opportunities for South African businesses abroad is justified to enable South African business people to make reasoned choices with respect to conducting business abroad. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Advice to foreign businesses regarding trade matters and incentives is justified to enable foreign businesses to make reasoned choices with respect to conducting business in South Africa. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Advice about investment opportunities and incentives in South Africa is justified to enable potential investors to make reasoned choices with respect to conducting business in South Africa. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The advice is given in a caring, accountable manner recognizing the diverse needs of the clients and encourages them to assess and realize their business prospects 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Clients are referred to the appropriate service providers and further interventions are made where necessary. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Referrals are made where the service is beyond the Foreign Economic Representative's mandate
     


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Any institution offering learning towards this unit standard must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA. The moderation requirements of the ETQA must be met in order to award credits to learners for this unit standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
  • The South African Economy
  • Trade and investment in South Africa
  • Bilateral and Multilateral trade agreements
  • International trade law
  • Information on export and imports, trade opportunities, investment promotion strategies and incentives 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems: Foreign Economic Representatives are required to advise clients and resolve their problems 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Teamwork: The Foreign Economic Representative functions as part of a diplomatic mission and thus is a member of the team that comprises the staff of the diplomatic mission. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyze, organize and critically evaluate information: Conducting research and reporting involves collecting, analyzing, organizing and critically evaluating the information 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively: Initiating, promoting and maintaining relationships with the trade and investment community entails varied forms of high level communication 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Be culturally sensitive: Working in a foreign office abroad entails mixing with different cultures and requires sensitivity about cultural dynamics. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING 
    Developing entrepreneurial opportunities: Foreign Economic Representatives have as their core function the identification, exploration and development of business opportunities for a variety of stakeholders. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    Anyone assessing learners against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA and must have a level 6 qualification in the field of Business, Commerce and Management and least have served a term as a Foreign Economic Representative. 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    N/A 

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  49055   National Certificate: Foreign Economic Representation  Level 6  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  PSETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.