Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry will head a South African business delegation to South Sudan, during a multi-sectoral trade and investment mission, from 21 to 24 July 2009.
The mission follows a visit by the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of International Relations and Co-operations in November 2008, during which a preliminary economic development and co-operation scan was conducted. The exploratory visit aimed to establish and prioritise sectors in which South Africa could broaden its economic participation with South Sudan.
The 2009 mission seeks to achieve the following key objectives:
* Launch the South African-Sudanese Joint Business Council
* Further assess economic opportunities in South Sudan.
The trade and investment mission will provide South African economic cluster departments and businesses with an ideal platform to interface with their counterparts in South Sudan and expand business linkages between the two countries. It will also assist in further realising the African Union’s (AUs) Sudan Post-Conflict Reconstruction process, in which South Africa played an integral role, as Convenor of the AUs Reconstruction Committee. It is envisaged that the bilateral mission will provide numerous opportunities for South African companies to export goods and services, as well as invest in the country.
Over 20 public and private sector companies will participate in the mission, spanning the following economic sectors:
* Agriculture
* Minerals
* Energy
* Infrastructure development and management
* Information, Communication and Technology (ICT)
* Telecommunications
* Water purification and supply
* Forestry
* Financial services.
For more information contact:
Bongani Lukhele
Tel: 012 394 1643
Cell: 078 526 8572
E-mail: BLukhele@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
21 July 2009
