Agricultural, automotive and mining trade partnerships are planned under a new South Africa-Egypt Joint Business Council, according to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic).
The department said the council, launched on October 2 at the Alamein Africa Business Forum, was intended to connect companies and develop both countries as gateways into Southern, North and wider African markets.
According to figures released by the dtic, bilateral trade increased from R3.4 billion in 2024 to R4.3 billion in 2025. South African exports to Egypt rose from R1.3 billion to R1.6 billion, although South Africa remained a net importer.
The department outlined proposed initiatives including an agriculture and agro-processing corridor, automotive and new-energy mobility cooperation, mining and minerals partnerships, and engineering, infrastructure and renewable-energy programmes.
It said an Africa Joint-Venture Investment Fund was envisaged as a private-sector vehicle to support expansion beyond the two countries’ domestic markets.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau also attended the accompanying automotive investment forum, which the department said was hosted by Egypt’s investment ministry with Afreximbank and the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers.
According to the dtic, discussions focused on bankable investments and continental automotive supply chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area, connecting manufacturers, component suppliers, logistics providers and finance.
