Ukraine and South Africa are deepening trade and economic relations and implementing joint projects, particularly in the agro-industrial sector.
This was reported by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko met with South African business representatives during the first official visit of a Ukrainian delegation to the country. The delegation also included Minister of Agrarian Policy Vitalii Koval and representatives of Ukrainian businesses working in agri-processing, infrastructure, construction, and mechanical engineering.
The meeting with African business representatives took place at the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and brought together about 30 South African entrepreneurs.
“Our trade relations with this region have huge development potential. Last year, the total volume of bilateral trade in goods between Ukraine and South Africa amounted to $113.9 million. These are extremely small figures. The lion’s share of that was imports from South Africa. Yet, there are already Ukrainian entrepreneurs working with this market — producers of innovative security systems, confectionery, and agricultural producers exporting sunflower oil,” Svyrydenko noted.
According to her, both sides are showing active interest in cooperation in agriculture, digitalization, energy, healthcare, and education.
Ukraine and South Africa are currently working on an agreement on cooperation in the agricultural sector and an agreement to establish a Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. Both sides also expressed interest in holding a joint business forum in South Africa.
Svyrydenko thanked the South African private sector for its support of Ukraine, particularly mentioning the company Aspen, which provided several shipments of humanitarian aid with essential medicines for Ukrainians in the first month of the full-scale war.
