Pretoria - Infrastructure development and the transfer of skills are essential for the African continent’s growth and development, Department of Trade and Industry (dti) Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe said.
“In our continued struggle for economic freedom, the South African government will continue to encourage intra-Africa trade through undertaking outward business missions to different parts of Africa in order to implement infrastructure development that Africa is in need of,” said Thabethe on Tuesday.
The deputy minister was speaking in Algiers, Algeria where she is leading a business delegation on an Outward Selling Mission.
South Africa, like Algeria, seeks to champion the participation of small and medium enterprises (SME) to play a vital role in the mainstream economy, she said at a business seminar hosted by the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“I take pride in the fact that some of these SME’s are women owned. They have risen above their challenges to be there today and will no doubt contribute to strengthening our economic relations,” she said.
The deputy minister challenged South African and Algerian companies not to compete but to seek complementariness and to collaborate in their business dealings or joint ventures to explore respective markets for mutual benefits.
The deputy has held talks with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure M. Rachid Benaissa as part of the visit that concludes today.
The purpose of the mission is to create market access of South African value added products and services into new markets and to promote South Africa as a trade and investment destination.
Following the Algerian visit -- of which the market access of South African value added products and services into new markets and to promote South Africa as a trade and investment destination -- Thabethe is also heading to Tunisia on an Outward Selling Mission kicking off today and ending on Saturday.
Algeria has been the leading export destination in North Africa for South African products from 2008 – 2012. Over the period 2008 – 2012, trade has been favourable to South Africa with total exports amounting to R8.1 billion while imports amounted to R672 million.
The trade volume between Algeria and South Africa for the period of 2008 – 2012 was R14.4 million. The trade balance between the two countries amounted to R7.4 billion in favour of South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
