A trade mission to South Africa organised by The Chamber for Coventry and Warwickshire netted orders totalling more than £4-million.

Deals for £1.3million were signed during the trip last month, with £2.8-million repeat orders over the next two years.

"Although most of the 20 companies were manufacturers, and mostly in engineering, we proved that export orders are still there for the winning,"

said Mark Eaton, co-ordinator of the mission for the Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise.

Eight of the firms were from within Coventry and Warwickshire. One of them, Newell Fine Borers, of Broad Lane, Coventry, which remanufactures special machine tools, expressed delight at the reception they received.

A large Durban investment and business development organisation is to visit The Chamber in Coventry next month to follow through on co-operation agreements which were signed in South Africa.

The mission visited Johannesburg and Cape Town, but some firms seized the chance to go on to Port Elizabeth and Durban and develop contacts there.

The DTI subsidised travel costs at £400 a head.

"We believe we are on the right lines in encouraging small and medium firms to look at the prospects of joining the export market.

"We provide full support for any company wanting to branch out into exporting, from researching potential markets through to providing introductions in the countries visited," said Mr. Eaton.

The Chamber has recently launched a new trade liaison desks covering South Africa, the US and the Baltic States-helped by winning support totalling £500,000 from European funds.