Minister Davies is leading a trade and investment mission about 30 executives and companies from South Africa’s mining, metals and capital equipment sectors, the first of four sectors to be profiled during the promotion. The delegation, which includes the MEC of Economic Development and Tourism in Limpopo, Mr Pitsi Moloto, is in Shanghai to introduce investment opportunities in South Africa, identify opportunities in China, and enhance existing trading activities.
Tomorrow, Minister Davies will address a seminar that will be attended by more than 100 Chinese and South African business people.
“We will be focusing on key capabilities and will be looking at Chinese communities and visitors from other countries to come to see what South Africa has to offer. Over the next two months the dti will be leading activities that will be taking place at the pavilion. Today we are launching the focus on mineral beneficiation, metals and capital equipment. It will be followed by focus on energy, engineering and information and communication technology. In August, the focus will be on defence and security, as well as agro-processing industries and agro processing technology,” said Minister Davies at the launch of the South African pavilion which has seen been visited by more than one million people since the Expo began in May.
He added that beneficiation of mineral products was something that the South African government is taking seriously.
“We are well known to other countries as producers of mineral products. We have established capabilities in mining those products. But we have identified a need for us to beneficiate or add value to these products before being exported to other parts of world. We are aware that China has a great need for mineral products coming from the African continent. But we believe there are a number of synergies and possibilities of productive relationships between the two countries to achieve mutual aims of providing mineral products to the Chinese economy, but in forms that are more beneficiated than simply raw material production.
Minister Davies added that the SA government was encouraged by statements made by the Chinese government recently that China was prepared to invest in beneficiation of mineral products.
“We believe that there are many opportunities for the Chinese companies to invest in our country in areas of capital equipment and infrastructure development, which will continue after the World Cup,” said Minister Davies.
The Vice Chairman of the Federation of Shanghai Commerce and Industries, Mr Jin Liang said companies affiliated to his federation were committed to working with their South African counterparts for the mutual economic prosperity of the two countries.
“Instead of focusing on traditional sectors such as textile, China’s investment in South Africa is now expanding to new industries, such as energy, minerals, mechanics and construction. We may still work together in sectors such as natural resources, capital, human resources and technologies since both countries have different advantages,” added Liang.
For more information, contact:
Bongani Lukhele
Cell: 074 299 8512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedti.gov.za
