Luanda is next stop on Cape's African safari

The Western Cape’s enhanced African Agenda is gradually coming together with a second partnership agreement in its sights. Its aim is to prioritise the Western Cape in Africa in order to connect with more markets on the continent and to grow trade. As part of this process the City of Cape Town is signing formal agreements with African counterparts. Last year it entered its first agreement – a Sister City Agreement – with Bujumbura in Burundi. Now it has formalised relations with Luanda in Angola following an investment tour to the country by Mayor Patricia de Lille and Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris. Viewed as an important investment location, Luanda is also seen as a centre of innovation that is inspiring the next phase of growth in Africa. It is poised to move into the ‘megacity’ class as its population is expected to grow to 10 million inhabitants within the next 20 to 30 years, making it one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. It is also predicted that Luanda will be among the 140 richest cities in the world due to its oil and diamond industries. “The Angolan government has recently prioritised the diversification of its economy in order to reduce its reliance on oil,” said a spokesman for De Lille. “They have expressed their interest in exploring agriculture, infrastructure development and manufacturing which are all sectors in which our region has a competitive advantage.” De Lille met with the governor of Luanda, Graciano Francisco Domingos, to discuss the prospect of signing a draft partnership agreement between the City of Cape Town and Luanda. Once the agreement has been signed, the two cities will undertake to create an integrated and sustainable relationship. According to De Lille cities are currently key drivers of economic growth globally. “And we are bound to experience similar challenges on our respective growth paths. We can however change those challenges into opportunities by sharing our experiences and in turn developing best practice,” she said following her trip to Angola. Research by Wesgro indicates that the Western Cape’s exports to Angola increased by 12% in 2013 reaching R 2.5 billion. Between 2003 and June 2014 a total of nine FDI projects were recorded from the Western Cape to Angola, representing a total capital investment of R1.3 billion. INSERT & CAPTION The Western Cape’s exports to Angola increased by 12% in 2013. – Patricia de Lille