Africa
15 November 2006
The Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Sultanate of Oman, His
Excellency Maqbool Bin Ali Sultan, will lead a 30 member business and
government delegation on an official visit to Republic of South Africa from 19
to 24 November 2006. Bin Ali Sultan will hold a bilateral meeting with his
South African counterpart, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mandisi Mpahlwa,
at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) Group Campus in Sunnyside,
Pretoria on 20 November 2006, before both Ministers address a business seminar
attended by business people from Oman and South Africa.
Bin Ali Sultan will then proceed to Cape Town, and then to Durban where he
will address a business seminar together with MEC for Finance and Economic
Development in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize. Trade and Investment
KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) will host the seminar.
According to Sihle Shange, Director for North Africa and the Middle East in
the International Trade and Economic Development division of the dti, the
purpose of the visit is to develop business co-operation between the two
countries, especially to attract investment into South Africa, and to identify
trade and business opportunities for South African companies in various
sectors.
"Oman is one of the three Gulf States that Minister Mpahlwa visited in March
this year. He held bilateral meetings with his counterpart, as well as
Ministers of Oil and Gas, Transport and Communication, Defence Affairs, and
Foreign Affairs. The visit by the Oman Minister is part of the unfolding
programme of establishing and developing relationships between South Africa and
the Middle East countries," said Shange.
Oman is a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and an important
member of the Group of 77 or the South-South Coalition in multilateral
international trade agreements. Oman is the 37th trading partner of South
Africa globally and trade between the two countries has grown impressively in
the past two years. In 2003 trade between South Africa and Oman totalled R123
million in 2003 and this has grown to R1,6 billion in 2006 up to July.
Oman's major import products include machinery, transportation equipment,
manufactured goods, food, livestock and lubricants.
Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Cell: 083 291 8689
E-mail: blukhele@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
15 November 2006
