Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Team South Africa – comprising government and business leaders – has concluded participation in the 26th World Economic Forum for Africa (WEF 2016) in Kigali, Rwanda, ahead of a visit to South Sudan.
Deputy President Ramaphosa led Team South Africa’s participation in the three-day event which was themed “Connecting Africa’s resources through digital transformation”.
Within the context of the continent’s growth and development objectives, and aligned to the African Union’s Agenda 2063 – the blueprint for the continent’s development up to the year 2063 – WEF Africa focused on the priority areas of long-term investing, infrastructure and development; food security and agriculture, and the future of the internet.
Deputy President Ramaphosa’s delegation included Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan; Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies; Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele; Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel, and Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe.
Senior leadership of Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation, Old Mutual, ArcelorMittal, and Business Unity South Africa formed part of Team South Africa.
The delegation used WEF Africa 2016 to promote South Africa as being open to business and as a preferred destination for investments and communicate the positive message that South Africa’s macro-economic environment remains resilient, with a dynamic and stable economy underpinned by solid economic fundamentals.
Addressing a media conference at the end of the Forum today, Friday 13 May 2016, Deputy President Ramaphosa said the deliberations had proved that Africa was on the move, and had enabled South Africa’s private and public sectors to form useful relationships regionally and internationally.
“As Team South Africa, the journey here has been really worthwhile; it has been a fruitful visit. South African businesses have made valuable contacts with other businesses (and) our state-owned enterprises have had occasion to interact with SOEs and business from other countries, and have formed useful relationships.”
Throughout the Forum, Team South Africa assured potential investors and partners that South Africa is being open to business and remains a preferred investment destination.
Addressing media, Deputy President Ramaphosa reiterated that “South Africa has the political will to create an investor-friendly environment”.
Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe, said the African Union’s Agenda 2063 was being implemented through infrastructure development, and the implementation of infrastructure in the North-South Corridor was being fast-tracked.
In keeping with the theme of the Forum, Minister for Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele, commended Rwanda on its own achievements in information technology.
He also said South Africa was learning from East Africa how cellphone roaming costs could be reduced.
More broadly, said Minister Cwele, Africa’s challenges provide opportunities for innovation.
Also today, Friday 13 May 2016, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy on Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Deputy President Ramaphosa said South Africa wanted to deepen relations with Rwanda, from which South Africa could learn a great deal.
On Monday, 16 May 2016, Deputy President Ramaphosa will pay a Working Visit to South Sudan where he will hold discussions with President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar. Deputy President Ramaphosa will visit South Sudan in his capacity as Special Envoy of President Jacob Zuma to that country.
The discussions will take place against the background of concerted efforts to end the conflict in South Sudan, the reunification of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and post-conflict reconstruction and development in the country.
Source: The Presidency Republic Of South Africa