The minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, and her Angolan counterpart, Georges Rebelo Chicoti, signed a Customs Mutual Administrative Agreement on Friday.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the fourth session of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) in Luanda, Angola where bilateral relations between the two countries were reviewed along with implementation of bilateral projects.
According to the South African Revenue Service (Sars), the purpose of this agreement is to enable both administrations to exchange information, provide each other with technical assistance, undertake surveillance and investigations together, and cooperate to enhance the efficiency of their customs administration operations.
Angola is one of the country’s largest trading partners in Africa, with South Africa importing goods worth R17 billion from Angola, while exporting just above R8 billion. To date, 33 agreements and Memoranda of Understanding have been signed within the JCC framework, with a view to enhancing cooperation in a number of areas including agriculture, immigration, investment, energy, trade and industry, and transport.
Additionally, during the JCC both countries committed to pursue industrialisation and infrastructure development as a way of boosting inter-regional trade.
