SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVE IN DRC FOR THE 7TH INVESTMENT AND TRADE INITIATIVE

SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVE IN DRC FOR THE 7TH INVESTMENT AND TRADE INITIATIVE

The 48 member strong delegation of the South African businesspeople has arrived in the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Kinshasa, to participate in the 7th Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) to that country.  The delegation is led by the Deputy Minister of Energy Ms Thembisile Majola.

The ITI which starts today will consist of business seminars, business to business meetings, round table discussions, site visit and has been organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti).

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony held last night, the Ambassador of South Africa to the DRC, Mr Ntsiki Mashimbye said the country, which had seen a lot of adversities in the past, was very different from what it was before. Mashimbye told the South Africans that Kinshasa was very safe, the armed forces were drastically reduced and that the citizens of the DRC were starting to experience peace.

“A lot of South Africans are increasingly coming to the DRC and are tapping into the opportunities that are available here. Most of those who have invested in the country are reaping the rewards because this country has totally transformed,” highlighted Mashimbye.

He said the economy of the DRC would be taking off in the next few years and South Africa needs to grab opportunities that came with this growth.

“Opportunities range from producing oranges to building bridges. Roads are going to be developed, about 180 dams will be built. This shows that the DRC is a good place where good entrepreneurs can find opportunities,” added Mashimbye.

He encouraged South Africans to work together with the Congolese people and do proper due diligence in order for their businesses to succeed.

Speaking at the same event, the Provincial Minister of Finance, Commerce and Industry in Kinshasa Mr Guy Kingolo said the visit of the South African businesspeople in Kinshasa indicated their interest in the city which has a population of about 13 million.

He further mentioned that the city housed national institutes and had a number of industries including the Pharmaceutical, Plastics and Cosmetics. He added that most of the industries were informal and depended on imports.