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President Thabo Mbeki to host Singaporean President Sellapan
Ramanathan for State Visit, in Pretoria, Thurs 19 April 2007 Pretoria -
President Thabo Mbeki, supported by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma, will on Thursday 19 April 2007 host his Singaporean counterpart
President Sellapan Ramanathan, on a first state visit to SA by a Singaporean Head
of State for bilateral political, economic and trade discussions at the Union
Buildings in Pretoria. President Mbeki's delegation will include Ministers
Mosioua Lekota, Membathisi Mdladlana, Ronnie Kasrils. President Mbeki will host
his counterpart within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidating
and strengthening political, economic and trade relations with Singapore. In
addition, the visit is aimed at achieving the objectives of the New Africa-Asia
Strategic Partnership adopted in April 2005. This Partnership mandated all Asian
and African countries to give expression to their political relations by expanding
trade and economic relations. Issues on the agenda for discussions between
Presidents Mbeki and Nathan are expected to include, among others: - The
status of bilateral political and economic relations between both countries including
support for skills development programmes through AsgiSA and JIPSA;
- To
encourage more trade and investment projects such as the COEGA Straits Chemicals
investment worth about R5,8b
- Developments in Africa-Asia relations since
the adoption of the New Africa-Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP) with a view
to the Ministerial Meeting later in 2007 and the Summit of Afro-Asian Heads of
State and Government in 2008;
- Global challenges including South Africa's
mandate as the Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
and UN Security Council issues, inter alia, Timor Leste, and the Middle East;
- Views
on increasing South-South Cooperation especially lessons for SADC in light of
the expanded ASEAN and the prospects of its Free Trade Area by 2015; and
- Developments
in the World Trade Organisation Talks.
While in South Africa, President
Ramanathan is expected to meet with the Singaporean Business Community based in
South Africa, visit the Mandela Museum in Soweto, lay a wreath at the Hector Peterson
Memorial, visit Robben Island, participate in the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony
for the Straits Chemicals at Coega Village in Port Elizabeth, visit the Gandhi
Settlement and Luthuli Museum in Durban. Economic Bilateral Relations Singapore
is an important country in Southeast Asia for South Africa not only because it
occupies the top position in terms of total trade in the region, but also because
of its role within ASEAN which could facilitate a broader FTA between ASEAN and
SACU. The visit by President Nathan to South Africa, marks a clear resurgence
of interest in our bilateral relations. South
African Trade - SINGAPORE (.pdf)
| Year | SA
Exports (R'000) | SA Imports (R'000) | Total
Trade | Trade Balance | Deficit/Surplus
as % of Trade | | 1996 | 1.619 | 1.278 | 2.897 | .341 | 12% | | 1997 | 1.108 | 1.188 | 3.396 | .08 | 4% | | 1998 | 830.311 | 1.610 | 2.441 | 1.610.689 | 66% | | 1999 | 1.035 | 1.372 | 2.407 | .337 | 14% | | 2000 | 1.559 | 1.459 | 3.018 | .1 | 3% | | 2001 | 2.071 | 1.488 | 3.559 | .583 | 16% | | 2002 | 1.839 | 2.238 | 4.077 | .399 | 10% | | 2003 | 1.796 | 2.155 | 3.951 | .359 | 9% | | 2004 | 2.001 | 2.634 | 4.635 | .633 | 14% | | 2005 | 2.764 | 2.925 | 5.699 | .161 | 3% | | 2006 | 3.188 | 7.149 | 10.337 | 3.961 | 38% | | Jan
2007 | 204.139 | 411.564 | 615.703 | 207.425
| 34% |
South African
Trade - SINGAPORE
Trade and Investment The focus
is to facilitate and promote trade and economic relations between South Africa
and Singapore and to encourage interaction between their respective business communities.
New investment clusters and zones will be identified to facilitate investment
in infrastructure and enterprises including the tourism sector development such
as hotel and resort development. Trade and Investment South Africa is currently
facilitating a Ship-building and repair project between IMBANI (South African
company) and Samcorp (Singapore company). The dti, DBSA, IDC, Richards Bay Municipality
and IMBANI visited Samcorp operations in Singapore last year (2006) as part of
the due diligence process. The mission was led by Mayor Moffat from Richard's
Bay Municipality. Richard's Bay IDZ has been identified as the preferred location
for this investment project. The projected total investment of this project is
estimated to be R2 billion. The dti, IDC, DBSA and the Richard's Bay Municipality
are currently engaging with the National Port Authority (NPA) including Transnet
in making sure that investment is realized. In terms of inward investment,
there is growing investment by Singapore into South Africa. Of note is the Straits
Chemicals project worth R5,8 billion at Coega. Media
Programme for State Visit to South Africa by Singaporean President Sellapan Ramanathan,
Wednesday 18 - Thursday 26 April 2007
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa
on 082 990 4853
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag
X152
Pretoria
0001 17 April 2007 | 
