President Jacob Zuma to receive Ghanaian President John Atta Mills on a Two Day State Visit to South Africa

The President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma will host His Excellency Professor John Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana, who will undertake a two day State Visit to South Africa scheduled to take place in Cape Town from 23 to 24 August 2011.

President Zuma will host the Ghanaian President within the context of consolidating the African Agenda through the enhancing and deepening of the social, economic and social relations.

This visit is aimed at strengthening the already existing cordial relations between South Africa and Ghana which dates back to the liberation struggle period.

The two Presidents will discuss and concretise cooperation in the key bilateral priority areas such as cooperation in trade, tourism, communication technology, energy, mining, agriculture, and science and technology.

It is expected that three (3) bilateral memoranda of understanding will be signed during the visit.

With regard to bilateral trade, Ghana represents a major export market for South African goods in West Africa after Nigeria and while total trade volumes are still relatively low in global terms, it is expected that these figures will grow.

In recent years, trade between South Africa and Ghana has grown significantly. South African exports have grown from less than R1 billion in 1998 to over R3 billion in 2009. Equally, imports from Ghana have shown constant increase during the same period. Products such as vehicles, machinery, mechanical appliances; electrical equipment, base metals, aircraft, vessels & associated products contributes to the increased exports to Ghana. In 2008 Ghana experienced a trade surplus owing to the large exports of waste and scrap metals, iron, steel as well as wood to South Africa.

There are more than eighty South African multinational and small scale companies registered in Ghana. The South African investors are prevalent in the following sectors: mining, retail, insurance, transport, tourism, banking, telecommunication, construction, services, franchising, manufacturing, fishing, advertising, aviation and energy.

Some of the South African companies which have invested in Ghana include MTN, Telkom, 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.

It is expected that during his visit, His Excellency President Atta Mills will lay a wreath at the Gugulethu 7 Memorial near Cape Town. It is also expected that President Atta Mills will visit Robben Island.

The two Presidents will use the occasion to exchange views in respect of developments at regional level, both with regard to ECOWAS and SADC, as well as discuss broad issues affecting the continent within the context of the AU. They will also discuss enhanced cooperation in dealing with multilateral issues such as reform of global institutions of governance such as the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods Institutions.

His Excellency President Atta Mills will be accompanied by several Ministers.

His Excellency, President Zuma will be supported by the Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation; Trade and Industry; Tourism; Communications; Home Affairs; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Women, Children and Persons with Disability; Transport; and Energy.

For further information please contact Mr. Clayson Monyela spokesperson for DIRCO on 082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Pretoria

21 AUGUST 2011