Trade and investments between Türkiye and South Africa are booming, with a surge in investments on each side reported yearly, Türkiye’s ambassador to Pretoria stated Monday.
“The total volume of Turkish investments in South Africa is $32 million (TL 996.4 million). In 2022, it was $31 million, which is an increase,” Ayşegül Kandaş advised an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA) at her workplace within the South African capital, Pretoria.
She stated South Africa’s investments in Türkiye have been $217 million in 2022, however the quantity elevated to $274 million by the top of 2023.
Kandaş stated between 60 and 70 Turkish corporations had arrange companies in South Africa, working in varied sectors, together with textiles and meals.
She stated one of many largest Turkish traders is Arçelik, a significant small family home equipment and white items producer in Türkiye that owns the well-known South African equipment model DEFY, producing jobs for two,700 individuals and contributing to South African exports to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc of 16 nations.
Turkish protection big Aselsan is one other large investor that manages its sub-Saharan Africa operations via its subsidiary in South Africa.
She stated Turkish entrepreneurs have additionally arrange shops dealing in clothes, meals, carpets and furnishings.
Kandaş stated over 65 South African corporations are at present working in Türkiye, the most important being Met Air.
She stated the amount of commerce between Türkiye and South Africa was $2 billion in 2021 and near $3 billion in 2022 however decreased barely in 2023 (over $1.95 billion), however they’re working to extend it for the advantage of the 2 nations.
Diplomatic relations
Kandaş stated final yr, Türkiye’s former Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited South Africa on the invitation of his counterpart Naledi Pandor.
Çavuşoğlu visited Cape Town to open the brand new Turkish Consulate General and likewise held political consultations with Pandor.
He additionally opened the Maarif Turkish Studies Center on the University of Pretoria.
Pandor additionally visited Türkiye for the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in 2022, and he or she is predicted to attend this yr in March to talk at a panel. She can be scheduled to fulfill Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Kandaş additionally stated they anticipate President Cyril Ramaphosa to go to Türkiye, which follows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official go to to South Africa in 2018.
“We would like to hold the first meeting of the Binational Commission established between our countries in Türkiye, hopefully at the level of deputy president or president. This will propel our bilateral relations, which have flourished during the last two years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she stated.
Source: www.dailysabah.com