The MEC for Economic Development and Tourism in Mpumalanga, Mr Eric Kholwane says the economy of Cuba provides unlimited opportunities for the Mpumalanga businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises. Kholwane attended a South Africa-Cuba Business Trade and Investment Seminar that was hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in Havana, Cuba this week.
The purpose of the seminar was attended by businesspeople from SA and Cuba was to bring to the attention of businesspeople from both countries investment opportunities that they can work together and explore. The SA business delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mzwandile Masina, who delivered a keynote address at the seminar.
“After attending the seminar I have no doubt that there are numerous opportunities that our companies back home can take advantage of. The opportunities in the tourism and agro-processing are almost tailor-made for businesses in our province. We will make an effort to assist our small and medium enterprises in particular to explore these opportunities. Our province is strong in tourism and agro-processing, so is Cuba. Therefore there is a strong potential for establishing linkages and partnerships between our businesses for the benefit of both countries,” said Kholwane.
He said his visit to Cuba followed a meeting that the province held with the Cuban Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Carlos Fernandez de Cossio Dominguez in Mbombela last week.
“In the meeting we discussed a variety of issues mainly related to our cooperation on health and human settlement matters where we are working on exchange programmes. Not much was discussed about economic issues between the countries because the national Department of Trade and Industry is leading the country’s initiatives to ensure that trade and investment between Cuba and SA is increased as a matter of priority,” said Kholwane.
In his address to the seminar, Deputy Minister Masina reiterated South Africa’s commitment to working with Cuba in order to increase the low bilateral trade between the two countries. Masina announced that the dti had identified 140 products for trade with Cuba in order to increase volumes of SA exports to Cuba.
The Cubans presented a portfolio of investment opportunities worth more than R90 billion in 12 strategic sectors of the Cuban economy. These include agribusiness, biotech and pharmaceutical, tourism, renewable energy, construction, oil exploration, mining, industrial production.
“As a province we will be working closing with the national department so we can make a meaningful contribution in producing and exporting products that are on the list and can be available in Mpumalanga. But what I have noticed during my visit is that there is already a lot that our companies that can to contribute in increasing trade and investment with Cuba. The onus is on us to start engaging seriously on ways and means of taking advantage of those opportunities,” emphasised Kholwane.
He also said there were lessons to be shared between Cuba and Mpumalanga as the province and South Africa as a country in general.
“We need to learn from the Cuban how they managed to successfully deal with the issue of poverty eradication despite the long economic blockade by the United States of America. I have not seen a single person beginning in streets of Cuba,” said Kholwane.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (012) 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Twitter: @the_dti
