South Africa remains committed to intra-African investment, says Trade and Invest Africa (TIA) head, Lerato Mataboge.
Speaking at a networking session on Monday, Mataboge assured delegates of South Africa’s support and commitment to the realisation of high level intra-African trade and investment.
The networking session was attended by a high level delegation from several African countries, which are participating in the annual Africa Energy Indaba Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre. The session was hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) in partnership with the South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC).
Mataboge spoke of the importance of engagements between government, the private sector and the business fraternity that are essential for African countries to trade among themselves. She said that by working together, African countries can address energy deficiency challenges.
“While opening up conversations to address energy deficiency, the continent need not miss out on the digital industrial revolution. This is a new wave that we need to apply our minds to while coming up with solutions,” said Mataboge.
Created in April 2016, the TIA initiative aims to be the arm of the dti that coordinates and implements South Africa’s economic strategy for Africa. It focuses on advancing the priorities for Africa set out in the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and the National Export Strategy, as well as the opportunities uncovered through continental trade negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the SAEEC Chiboni Evans expressed satisfaction on the arrival of the high delegation from Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Sudan and Zambia in the country.
“Site visits are important to showcasing capabilities. For this reason, delegates will also have an opportunity to visit some of the leading South African manufacturers and suppliers of energy-related products that will showcase their capabilities and capacities in the energy sector. This will assist them in knowing where to source energy-related products and services for their own projects within the continent itself,” said Evans.
The Africa Energy Indaba Conference, which gets underway on Tuesday, focuses primarily on convening relevant and strategic international and local stakeholders to discuss and explore solutions to Africa’s energy challenges.
