South Africa is committed to strengthening the bilateral cooperation with Ghana to ensure the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This was said by the Chief Director of Trade Invest Africa at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), Mr John Rocha. He was speaking during the Ghana Trade and Investment Forum that took place on the margins of the seven-day long Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF).
“We want to assure our brothers and sisters from Ghana that we stand with them to make sure the goals and vision of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 become a reality in the lives of our people. South Africa intends to do this through strengthening bilateral cooperation and partnership to support the implementation of the AfCFTA,” said Rocha.
According to Rocha, Ghana has always been in the forefront of pan-Africanism, and has always driven and focused on the need for the continent to attain total political liberation. The location of the AFCTA Secretariat in Ghana demonstrates Ghana’s commitment to the ideal of pan-Africanism, only this time focusing on full economic emancipation.
“South Africa is ready to work with Ghana in a few key economic sectors and value chains. We hope that during the forthcoming business forum that will take place in Ghana we will be able to define concrete steps that we can take together moving forward,” said Rocha.
Rocha highlighted a few economic sectors, which he believed both South Africa and Ghana were competitive and have comparative advantage on. He cited chemicals, polymers, natural rubber, and textiles raw materials of Ghana that can be combined to increase production of tyres in Africa to supply the growing automotive industry.
Enhancing value addition in cocoa, sugar and milk presents an opportunity to build stronger value chain linkages between South Africa, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, as well as other countries in West Africa.
“South Africa and Ghana should work closely on these sectors and other value chains to boost economic growth and industrialisation in West, East, Southern, Central and North Africa. The AfCFTA is in place to create the enabling environment for trade. We want chocolates made in Ghana to be sold in our supermarkets.
“The gold industry is flourishing in Ghana, and Gauteng in South Africa was built on gold. So there is a lot Ghana and South Africa can share to capitalise on their technological, capital equipment and mineral processing capabilities,” said Rocha.
“It will be important for us to focus on improving the logistics and infrastructure for the goods to move smoothly, efficiently and cost-effectively between our countries, in particular, and across Africa general.”
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Mr Wamkele Mene visited the South African pavilion at the IATF where he wished the businesspeople good luck and encouraged them to do business with their counterparts from other parts of the continent.
He lauded South Africa’s commitment to promoting intra-African trade and the growth of the African continent through the AfCFTA.
Caption: The Chief Director of Trade Invest Africa at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) Mr John Rocha with the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat Mr Wamkele Mene during a walkabout in the South African pavilion at the Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban.