By 2019, South Africa hopes to boost its trade with Africa by half a trillion rand, according to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana Mashabane. She said South Africa was aiming to boost trade with African states by half a trillion rand before the end of the current administration.
Briefing the media yesterday ahead of her delivery of the departmental budget vote, she attributed the increase in trade and investment relations to the growth of South Africa's diplomatic missions on the continent, noting that this applied to the country’s trade ties with its international partners as well.
"With additional economic diplomacy efforts and enhanced national coordination, South African trade with the world can reach R2 trillion by the end of this administration,” said Mashabane.
She said SA's diplomatic presence on the continent had brought tangible benefits in the form of economic growth and job creation.
The minister said the work of the department had increased the country's presence on the continent from seven diplomatic missions in 1994 to 47 in 2015. "Consequently, South Africa's trade on the continent increased 39 times from R11.4 billion in 1994 to R385 billion in 2015,” Mashabane pointed out.
