15-11-2023
President of the Republic of South Africa HE Cyril Ramaphosa said that Qatar is a positive partner to South Africa, calling on business sectors in Qatar to explore investment opportunities available in all sectors.
This was revealed during a meeting recently held at the Sheraton Hotel with a delegation from the Qatar Chamber and the Qatar Businessmen Association.
The Chamber’s delegation, led by First Vice-Chairman HE Mohamed bin Twar Al-Kuwary, included Second Vice-Chairman HE Rashid bin Hamad Al Athba, several board members, and a number of Qatari businessmen.
Ramaphosa also said: “We need to see Qatari investments in South Africa. There is no obstacles between both countries to expand their commercial relations,”
The South African President stressed that his countries is interested to promote its bilateral relations with Qatar and it is ready to build boundless partnership between Qatari businessmen and their counterparts from South Africa, pointing out that his visit aims to bolstering relations to cover all economic and commercial areas.
HE noted that South Africa owns a distinguished position and is rife with plenty of opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, industry, mining, food processing, pharmaceuticals and others, assuring that there is a lot of investment vistas in the South African market.
Ramaphosa mentioned that his country is progressed in industry and technology and has a lot of trade partners and strong presence in major markets like the two Americas and Asia, as well as a lot of trade agreements signed in Africa Continent.
HE praised Qatar’s successful organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In his remarks, HE Mohamed bin Twar Al-Kuwary commended the robust and close relationship between the State of Qatar and the Republic of South Africa across various domains. He emphasized that these relations have experienced significant growth in recent years, particularly in the fields of trade and the economy.
This is evident in the frequent visits exchanged between officials from both countries and the numerous agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed across various sectors,” he added.
Al Kuwary highlighted that the bilateral trade volume between the two countries experienced a notable surge of 33 percent, reaching QR 1.66 billion last year compared to QR 1.25 billion in 2021. This emphasizes the importance of South Africa as a crucial trade partner for Qatar.
In relation to mutual investments, he pointed out that both nations are dedicated to overcoming any obstacles that might impede joint ventures. They offer various facilities and incentives to attract investors, fostering robust relations between Qatari and South African businessmen and companies.
The First Vice-Chairman of QC mentioned that several successful South African investments are apparent in Qatar’s energy sector. Furthermore, the Qatari market benefits from a diverse range of South African products, encompassing fruits, vegetables, and foodstuffs.
Emphasizing the role of the Chamber, Al Kuwary stated that Qatar Chamber is fully devoted to supporting the strengthening of cooperation between the Qatari private sector and its South African counterpart. The objective is to facilitate the establishment of new commercial partnerships and economic alliances in sectors of mutual interest.
He also mentioned that Qatari businessmen express interest in understanding the investment climate in Africa at large, with a specific emphasis on South Africa. This country offers abundant investment opportunities in sectors such as energy, agriculture, food processing, mining, infrastructure, and more.
The meeting, which was also attended by representatives of major South African companies, discussed ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation relations between the private sectors in the two countries, the investment climate and available opportunities, and the possibility of strengthening commercial partnerships in various sectors.
