18 October 2006
The News South Wales (NSW) State Governor, Professor Marie Bashir told
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka yesterday (Tuesday, 17 October 2006)
that she would really love to visit South Africa next year. This, she said,
welcoming the Deputy President as she commenced her working visit to
Australia.
This is the first South African high level delegation to visit Australia in
recent years. The Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa, Minister of
Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, Public Service and Administration
Minister Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad and senior
officials accompanied Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka.
"We are hoping to provide the high profile opportunity to highlight the
further strengthening of the political relations between South Africa and
Australia. We also wish to promote skills development of South Africans,
training, the placement of graduates in Australian companies and institutions
of higher learning and the subsidisation of training in South Africa to reverse
skills drain from South Africa to Australia," said the Deputy President.
Australia is South Africa's 21st largest trading partner; South Africa is by
far Australia's largest and most dynamic market in Africa. Over the past five
years, total trade between Australia and South Africa has grown by 10 percent
per annum on average with South Africa now representing Australia's 15 most
significant merchandise export market. In 2005 two-way merchandise trade was
valued at AUSD $3,4 billion. Australian exports to South Africa were AUSD
$1,865 billion (mainly coal, crude petroleum, passenger motor vehicles and
medicaments) and Australian imports from South Africa were AUSD $1,533 billion,
notably passenger motor vehicles (mainly BMW Series 3 vehicles) worth AUSD $736
million, as well as pig iron furniture and fertilisers. Therefore, the mission
wants to promote investment and trade in South Africa.
A business forum was co-hosted by the Office of the Premier of New South
Wales (NSW) Parliament and Dr Meredith Burgmann, President of the NSW
legislative council. Following the trade and industry minister's address on the
South African economic situation, several business people in Sydney expressed
interest in making business with some of the 25 strong South African business
delegation.
Minister Mpahlwa painted the macroeconomic and microeconomic pictures of
South Africa and reminded delegates of the pre-1994 economic situation in the
country.
"The South African democratic government's approach to developing the
economy and macro-economic stability has yielded the highest rate of investment
improving levels of competitiveness, and broadening economic participation,"
said Minister Mpahlwa.
Minister Mpahlwa also put in a word for the broader African continent. He
said that South Africa no longer talked of investment in South Africa without
considering the integral nature of South Africa's relationship with other
countries in Africa. The continent has opened up new markets for the business
community to expand and grow their exports.
"Our economic and political relations on the African continent have shown
dramatic improvements and created many new business opportunities. Trading with
and investing in other countries in Africa represents one of the most dynamic
areas of growth for South Africa business. For South Africa trade in Africa now
exceeds trade with the United States and we anticipate that Africa will be the
investment destination of choice for the next 15 to 20 years," Minister Mpahlwa
told the business people.
The Deputy President proceeded to meet with the representatives of the
Queensland State Government and the Executive Directors of the Macquarie Bank
to also promote the Accelerated Share Growth Initiative for South Africa
(AsgiSA) and the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA), and
sought firm commitments in terms of training, skills development, placement and
internships.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka will meet with various senior government members in
Canberra today (Wednesday, 18 October 2006) to seek ways in which South Africa
can benefit from Australia's experience in developing a viable and world-class
film industry and to find ways of enhancing co-operation between South Africa
and Australia in the fields of culture and sport, and to normalise the
political relations between the two countries. She will thereafter proceed to
New Zealand.
For further information, please contact:
Thabang Chiloane
Tel: 096 1438 9864 778
Cell: 082 888 8783
Issued by: The Presidency
18 October 2006
