in London, United Kingdom (UK)
21 May 2006
South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will today 21 May
depart South Africa for London, UK where she is expected to lead a South
African Ministerial Delegation to the 7th session of the South Africa-UK
Bilateral Forum scheduled on Tuesday - Wednesday, 23-24 May 2006.
Minister Dlamini Zuma's visit to the UK comes within the context of the
forthcoming working visit of President Thabo Mbeki to London in which he will
hold political and economic bilateral discussions with his British counterpart
Mr Tony Blair on Wednesday 24 May 2006.
This high level visit to London comes within the context of the stated
commitment of South Africa to advancing the developmental agenda of Africa and
the South in particular while ensuring a faster and shared economic growth in
South Africa.
The Forum is entitled, "The UK and South Africa: Building together on the
2005 Year of Africa," and will be co-chaired by Minister Dlamini Zuma and the
UK's newly appointed Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.
The following South African Government Departments will be represented at
the Forum:
* Foreign Affairs
* Arts and Culture
* Defence
* Education
* Environmental Affairs and Tourism
* Home Affairs
* Science and Technology
* Trade and Industry
A roundtable discussion on Africa, entitled "Africa 2005: Putting Our
Promises into Practice," will focus on achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals and ensuring implementation of the commitments made in the
report of the Commission for Africa and at Gleneagles in 2005. Discussions will
also include the operationalisation of the African Union, the implementation of
the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the promotion of peace
and stability in Africa.
Bilateral Economic Relations
The bilateral trade relations between the two countries have shown an upward
trend over the years. It reached 27.8 billion pounds sterling in 2004. In
addition, there is a healthy flow of investment in both directions. The United
Kingdom remains the largest foreign investor in South Africa and over 200 South
African companies have established a presence in the UK.
For the first time ever, South Africa is in surplus in terms of its visible
trade with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is considered and ranked as
South Africa's second biggest export trading partner.
The top five export commodities from the United Kingdom to South Africa are:
Non-metallic minerals, office machines, road vehicles, telecommunications and
sound recording and reproducing apparatus as well as medicinal and
pharmaceutical products.
South Africa's top five export commodities to the United Kingdom are
non-metallic minerals, coal, coke and briquettes, road vehicles, vegetables and
fruit and non-ferrous metals.
The United Kingdom's Trade and Industry Department is actively encouraging
direct investment (currently R144 billion) and joint ventures in South Africa.
The general aim of this policy is to use South Africa as Regional Hub to export
to Africa and Asia.
The SA/UK small business partnership programme was launched in 2000. This
programme aims to develop business partnership between the UK and South African
companies owned and managed by previously disadvantaged groups. Funds from
British Trade International and the EU are supporting the programme.
Over 50% of total South African exports to the United Kingdom are either
precious metals or "unclassified goods". With about 12 billion pounds worth of
investment in South Africa, Britain holds the greatest amount of total foreign
investment stock in South Africa. British companies employ more than 40% of all
those employed by foreign firms. Nine of the top twenty foreign companies in SA
are British. It has recently emerged that South Africa is the top commonwealth
provider of teachers to the UK, with 4700 teachers having left for the UK since
2001.
South African exports to the United Kingdom:
2005: R32 377 308 000
2004: R27 869 388 000
2003: R24 170 332 000
2002: R27 568 126 000
The UK is South Africa's 2nd largest export market with an annual growth of
16% between 2004 and 2005.
South African imports from the United Kingdom:
2005: R20 129 842 000
2004: R21 125 373 000
2003: R22 596 969 000
2002: R25 117 075 000
Between 2004 and 2005, South Africa's imports from the United
Kingdom declined by -4.7%.
Tourism
British tourists regard South Africa as a world class tourist destination. The
United Kingdom is by far our most significant source of (non-African) tourists,
a position it has not relinquished for the past 15 years.
According to SA Tourism, the number of tourists from the United Kingdom,
from January to October 2002, amounts to 338, 853.
In 2004, a total of 456,368 British tourists visited South Africa and the
latest statistics indicate that the figure for 2005 increased to 469,599.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
21 May 2006
