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Minister Dlamini Zuma to Launch SA-Ghana Binational Commission Pretoria
- South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will, together with
her counterpart from Ghana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Addo Dakwa Akufo-Addo,
co-chair the Inaugural Session of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation
(JCC) at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria on Friday 11 May 2007. Minister
Dlamini Zuma will co-chair this inaugural session of the JCC within the context
of South Africa's commitment to strengthen bilateral political, economic and trade
relations with Ghana. The launch of the JCC takes place against the background
of the conclusion of the African Union Foreign Ministers Retreat and Executive
Council that discussed proposals for the political and economic integration of
the Continent in Durban. In addition, the meeting follows the bilateral
meeting between Presidents Mbeki and Kufuor in Pretoria on Tuesday 8 May 2007. Issues
on the agenda of discussions between Ministers Dlamini Zuma and Akufo-Addo are
expected to include, among others:
- The status of bilateral political
and economic relations between the two countries;
- Issues of political
and economic integration;
- Cooperation between South Africa and Ghana in
the UN Security Council; and
- Additional areas of cooperation, including
immigration, mining and energy, agriculture, tourism, justice, defence, arts and
culture, and science and technology.
Minister Akufo-Addo is expected
to depart from South Africa on Friday, 11 May 2007. Bilateral Economic
Relations
Ghana represents the major export market for South African
goods in the region after Nigeria and while total trade volumes are still relatively
low in global terms, it is expected that these figures will continue to grow.
In recent years, trade between South Africa and Ghana has grown significantly.
In 2003 South African exports to Ghana jumped to R1,61 billion, up R979 million
from the previous year (2002). In the same year South African imports from Ghana
stood at R52m. South African exports in 2006 amounted to just more than R1 billion. By
2006 South Africa was Ghana's 14th largest foreign direct investor. There are
58 South African multinational and small scale companies registered in Ghana from
1994 until April 2007. A South African company, Anglo-Gold, made headlines
in April 2004, when it signed a merger deal with Ghanaian Ashanti Goldfields valued
at $ 1,4 bn. This meant that South African investment in the Ghanaian mining sector
accounted for more than 60% of the total Foreign Direct Investment into the sector.
Some of the other main South African companies investing in Ghana include MTN,
Standard Bank, Gold Fields, SABMiller, Woolworths, Engen, Hytec Engineering, Multichoice,
Alliance Media, Steeldale, Stanbic, Shoprite Checkers, Sherwood, Steers and SAA
which operates four weekly flights between Johannesburg and Accra. South
African Breweries has acquired the majority shareholding in Accra Breweries Limited
(ABL), which is listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The Profurn Group (operating
as Barnetts) has opened a large network of retail stores in Ghana. The recent
acquisition by MTN of Avria has made MTN the biggest mobile phone operator in
Ghana. It is expected that this latest development will serve as a further catalyst
for South African investment in Ghana. South African exports to Ghana:
(Rand '000)
2003: R 1,161,799
2004: R 1,243,374
2005: R 1,625,748
2006:
R 1,736,876 SA Imports from Ghana:
2003: R 52,499
2004:
R 64,342
2005: R 74,902
2006: R 81,731 Media
Programme for official visit to South Africa by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Co-operation
and African integration of Ghana, Akufo-Addo, Friday 11 May 2007 For
further information contact Manusha Pillai on 082 389 3587 Issued
by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 10
May 2007 | 
