SPHIWE MASILELA
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Elizabeth Thabethe, on Monday led a business delegation of representatives from 13 South African companies to Equatorial Guinea to explore business opportunities and boost trade and investment between the two countries.
The delegation returns to South Africa on Friday. The visit follows a state visit by President Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo to South Africa in 2011, where the two countries sought to establish and strengthen bilateral ties.
“This mission will be taking place within the context of South Africa’s strategic engagement with the rest of the continent, aimed at supporting Africa’s economic revival, socioeconomic development and promoting intra-Africa trade,” Thabethe said .
The programme during the will include a trade and investment seminar, business to business meetings and site visits. The sectors that will be targeted include agro-processing, infrastructure, electro-technical and capital and mining equipment.
“I am confident that at the completion of this mission we will have achieved our objective of increasing our exports to Equatorial Guinea. We will have obtained sufficient market intelligence and fostered prosperous economic ties with the country,” Thabethe said.
sphiwem@thenewage.co.za