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| MINISTER NKOANA-MASHABANE HOSTS VIETNAMESESE COUNTERPART |
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The meeting took place to mark the 2013 celebration of 20 years of formal diplomatic relations
between South Africa and Vietnam. |
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The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, hosted her counterpart from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh, for bilateral consultations on 6 August.
During the meeting, the Ministers reviewed the status of bilateral relations between the two countries, specifically in the areas of bilateral trade and investment and cooperation in the field of wildlife protection. They also discussed a number of international and regional issues of mutual interest.
On bilateral trade, they welcomed the continuing increase in the volume of bilateral trade – which reached R6 billion in 2012, up from R3,7 billion in 2011 – and agreed that substantial potential in the field of trade and investment remained unexploited. The Ministers noted South Africa’s considerable trade deficit and agreed that the countries should focus on increasing their economic interaction in a more balanced way.
Speaking afterwards, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said: “South Africa and Vietnam have come a long way since our respective struggles for freedom. South Africa is today a free and democratic country and Vietnam has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, having halved poverty over the past 20 years. Our governments face similar challenges to address inequality and alleviate poverty and we have much to learn from each other’s experiences.
“South Africa attaches great importance to its relationship with Vietnam and regards Vietnam as a staunch friend and ally. Over the past 20 years, the relationship between South Africa and Vietnam has grown and solidified into a multi-facetted relationship with growing cooperation in many fields, rapid growth in people-to-people links and strong state-to-state and government-to-government relations that include cooperation at many levels, bilateral, as well as multilateral.” |
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Government's progressive laws and policies are attracting the international community to choose South African women to take up strategic positions on the African continent and on the world stage.
Addressing delegates at the Working Session with Women in Leadership and Decision-Making in Pretoria on 4 August, the Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, said South Africa had some of the most progressive policies and programmes, which sought to advance women empowerment and gender equality.
"We are here to reaffirm our commitment to the objective of building a society that strives relentlessly towards genuine women empowerment and gender equality," she said.
The Minister also used the platform to congratulate Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi on her appointment as Special Envoy for Gender at the African Development Bank in Tunisia and former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as Executive Director of United Nations Women.
www.southafrica.info |
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| SOUTH AFRICA MARKS WOMEN’S MONTH |
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| The national Women's Day event will be held at Thulamahashe in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, on Friday, 9 August. |
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During Women's Month, government is set to host a variety of events to celebrate women's achievements in the country, along with dialogues on the opportunities and challenges facing women today.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs kicked off the month by hosting a conference focussing on women in local government.
The Department of Science and Technology will be hosting the annual Women in Science Awards, while the Department of Health will be hosting a dialogue with young women on teenage pregnancy and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The Department of Basic Education will highlight their flagship Techno Girls Project, which encourages girls to study science and follow science-related careers. An alumni function will be held with girls who have benefited from the programme.
Various roundtables will be held by the departments of trade and industry and public works with business women in various sectors, including the construction industry.
South African Women in Law will host their annual programme promoting the role of women in the law fraternity.
The Department of Home Affairs has honoured the four women who led the 1956 Women's March against apartheid's pass laws by naming the four machines that will produce the country's new smart ID cards after them.
"Our Constitution recognises women as equal citizens, with equal rights and responsibilities," acting Government Communication and Information System CEO, Phumla Williams, said on 1 August. "We are inspired by all patriotic women who took up the fight for gender equality and freedom."
She added that the country was marking Women's Month "mindful of the growing scourge of child and women abuse”.
"Government continues its fight against acts of crime as we have seen recently with the speed with which the police moved in apprehending those who seem set on inflicting harm on our sisters and mothers." SAnews.gov.za |
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| SA WOMEN TO “RELIVE 1956 PROTEST MARCH” |
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| “Our obligation as government is to protect children from harm … the department renders international social services to individuals, children and families confronted with social problems.” |
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Gauteng Premier, Nomvula Mokonyane, will lead thousands of women in a 3,5-kilometre walk from Tshwane City Hall to the Union Buildings on Friday, 9 August, in honour of the women who marched in protest against pass laws in 1956. This year marks the 57th anniversary of the historic 1956 march, when 20 000 women marched in protest against the pass laws.
The theme for this year's celebration is "Unity in Action for Women's Socio-Economic Empowerment".
www.southafrica.info |
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SABC LAUNCHES 24-HOUR NEWS CHANNEL |
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| The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) launched its 24-hour news channel on 1 August 2013, kicking off its first broadcast on DStv’s channel 404. DStv, Multichoice’s multichannel African digital satellite service, was launched in 1995. |
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Speaking at the launch at the SABC’s studios in Johannesburg, President Jacob Zuma said the new channel would advance the constitutional right of South Africans to have diversified news.
The new channel came at the right time as the country prepared to celebrate 20 years of democracy, President Zuma said, adding that he hoped it would cover more than just crime stories, and showcase what “this beautiful country has achieved in recent years”.
The Minister of Communications, Yunus Carrim, said the new channel would help to close the “information divide” in the country, while winning back viewers for the broadcaster.
He added that the broadcaster would remain independent even though the new channel was broadcasting on pay-television. It is envisaged that the channel will reach roughly 20million viewers. SAnews.gov.za |
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| JSE TO LAUNCH ULTRA-HIGH SPEED SERVICE |
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| According to the JSE, co-location will offer 24 times faster access to the equity market, with a latency of 100 microseconds compared to 2 400 microseconds, which is the current fastest latency of JSE members located in Sandton, Johannesburg. |
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The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is moving to attract more high-frequency traders to South Africa’s bourse with the construction of a co-location centre that, on completion in the first half of 2014, will offer client’s access to the JSE at unprecedented speeds.
The co-location centre will enable clients to rent server space at the bourse, allowing them to reduce the time delay, or latency, of their trades.
“Clients demand faster execution speeds, and exchanges need to offer these in order to compete.
Co-location potentially offers huge benefits for our market in terms of volumes and liquidity, which in turn could lead to better price discovery,” Leanne Parsons, director of the JSE’s equity market, said on 2 August 2013, adding that the JSE’s latency levels already compared “very favourably” with international latencies offered by other exchanges. www.southafrica.info |
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| BMW SA EXPANDS EXPORT PROGRAMME |
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| About 14 000 vehicles will be exported from the Maputo car terminal each year. Exports through Durban will also increase by approximately 20 000 vehicles – an increase of over 60% on current levels. |
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BMW South Africa has expanded its export programme to facilitate increased production and will export its BMW 3 Series from Maputo in Mozambique, in addition to shipping from the Durban port.
“BMW South Africa has increased its production output with the introduction of a third shift, which was implemented towards the end of last year,” BMW South Africa managing director, Bodo Donauer, said in a statement last week.
“Our overall annual production figure will increase from around 50 000 units per year to more than 80 000 units in 2013. The number of vehicles exported from South Africa will also more than double from 33 000 units to over 70 000 vehicles per year. In line with this increase in volumes, we have had to look carefully at our export logistics and using Maputo in conjunction with our existing export supply chain in Durban makes sound business sense, Donauer said. www.southafrica.info |
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| CHINA INVESTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN WINE |
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| “The Chinese wine market is very important to our industry, and this first Chinese investment in the South African Winelands is a clear indication of their interest in our wines and can lead the way to a bright future for the export of SA wine to the East.” – Perfect Wines of South Africa chairperson, Hein Koegelenberg |
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Yangzhou-based Perfect China has made the Asian country’s first investment in South Africa’s wine industry, acquiring the Val de Vie Estate in the Western Cape in a deal expected to boost exports of South African wine to the Far East.
Perfect China, through its 51% shareholding in Perfect Wines of South Africa, purchased the 25-hectare wine farm between Paarl and Franschhoek that includes 21 hectares of vineyards, a manor house and wine cellar. Perfect Wines of South Africa was established as a joint venture between Hein Koegelenberg from Leopard’s Leap and La Motte and Perfect China in 2011.
Perfect China distributes L’Huguenot throughout the Far East with a sales team of over a million agents and 5 000 depots to markets, including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.
Perfect Wines will host 700 members of the Chinese sales team on an incentive trip to Cape Town in September, in the first of a series of planned annual incentive trips, to introduce them to South Africa and equip them to better sell the wine in the Far East.
www.southafrica.info |
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