Vietnam has become a promising destination for businesses, investors
and tourists from South Africa , heard a seminar in the Mekong Delta
city of Can Tho on October 30.
Speaking at the
“Vietnam-South Africa trade and investment” seminar hosted by the
Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Can Tho branch, Vice Chairman
of the municipal People’s Committee Dao Anh Dung said Vietnam and South
Africa boast a lot of strengths to further their comprehensive
relationship, especially in economics and trade.
He said over
the past two decades, bilateral ties have developed fruitfully in
various areas ranging from politics, diplomacy to economics, culture,
education and national security and defence.
An array of
agreements and memoranda of understanding on economic and tourism
cooperation have been signed by the two countries, he said, adding that
Vietnam ’s exports to South Africa reached 630 million USD last year
while South Africa shipped 120 million USD worth of goods to the
Southeast Asian country.
Adriaan Du Pisiane, First Secretary
at the South African Embassy in Vietnam , said infrastructure and
services in his country have been evaluated as the best among those in
developing nations, especially roads, sea ports, banking system, vessels
and telecoms.
As the economic pillar of the entire Africa,
South Africa’s economy has been ranked high among developing
economies, even surpassing India , Italy and the United Arab
Emirates , he said.
He described the mining industry as the
country’s spearhead, noting that the South Africa is the world’s
largest gold and platinum miner.
South Africa takes the lead
in Africa in telecommunications and boasts strengths in ecological and
archeological tourism, he said, adding that it is also one of the
exporters of diverse goods to the UK, the US, Germany and Japan.
Farm produce processing, auto industry, transportation, chemicals,
pharmaceutical products, bio-technology, mining, metallurgy, garment and
textile, footwear, electronic industry and technology are areas of the
country’s strengths.
South Africa has launched many
programmes to attract foreign investors such as the Industrial
Development Zone (IDZ) programme, the Critical Infrastructure Programme,
the Technology and Human Resource for Industry Programme and the
National Industry Participation Programme.-VNA