Cabinet Briefed On Ramaphosa Visit To China, FOCAC Summit Participation

Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni on Wednesday briefed the cabinet on the outcomes of President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent State Visit to China and the Forum on China – Africa Cooperation Summit (FOCAC).

China is South Africa's largest global trading partner, and South Africa is China's top trading partner in Africa. Bilateral trade between the two countries increased from R614 billion in 2022 to R692 billion in 2023, SA News reported.

Ramaphosa visited China and attended the FOCAC Summit in Beijing from Sept. 2 to 6, following an invitation from President Xi Jinping. South Africa and China agreed to shift their trade toward more value-added products.

As part of this, South Africa shared a list of 100 value-added products that China will consider importing. Furthermore, South Africa secured China's cooperation in three key areas: decarbonization, digitalization, and transport and logistics.

This partnership aims to boost investments in electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, renewable energy storage, and in specifically Special Economic and Industrial Development Zones. Major Chinese investors in Shenzhen and Beijing also showed interest in expanding their investments or establishing new projects in South Africa.

During the State Visit, six Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) were signed to promote cooperation between Chinese entities and South African companies, as well as Development Finance Institutions.

These MoUs aim to support industrial growth in South Africa, boost technology cooperation for decarbonizing key sectors, and encourage investment in renewable energy.

The agreements, signed by both government and private sector representatives, are expected to drive investments in green, low-carbon initiatives, promote industrial innovation, and attract investments in Special Economic Zones and Industrial Parks.

Minister Ntshavheni shared these details while briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Nov. 6.

In September, Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane announced that South Africa is all set to send about 100 South African students to China next year to study important future skills to address the skills mismatch across the African country.

Nkabane stressed that South Africa has a strong and growing partnership with China in higher education and training, which supports South Africa's development of knowledge and skills. She added that this visit aligned with South Africa's goals for technological advancement and international cooperation in education.