2023
BRICS Inward Buying and Investment Mission
12:08am Capital on the Park, Sandton
As the host of the BRICS Summit and the chair of the BRICS group, South Africa is using its position to advance the interests of African States under the theme of 'BRICs and Africa partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and multilateralism'. In alignment and support of South Africa's role in chairing BRICS, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and its agencies, together with our partners, the South Africa BRICS Business Council, the Department of Trade Industry and Competition and Brand South Africa, curated an exciting programme focused on strengthening intra-BRICS relations, and developing mutually beneficial economic cooperation while firmly aligning the BRICS region with our mandate to deepening intra-Africa inclusive industrialisation.
To kick start the province's calendar, Gauteng MEC of Economic Development Tasneen Motara, welcomed 50 companies from Brazil, Russia, India, China & the African continent in a business-to-business networking session on the 13th of August, ahead of the first BRICS Inward Buying & Investment Mission. The programme included Paulina Mamogobo, Director: International Operations; Stavros Nicolaou, SA BRICS Business Council member; and Muziwethu Mathema, Group Executive: Macro Business Intelligence at the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA).
On the 14th of August, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, through the GGDA, hosted 100 companies from Brazil, Russia, India, China and the African continent in a business-to-business match-making breakfast seminar. We aimed to provide a pragmatic trade and investment platform for Gauteng enterprises to interact with buyers from BRIC and other African enterprises. This facilitated more profound intra-South-to-South commerce while increasing market opportunities to foster economic growth and job creation throughout the continent. This is in line with the Growing Gauteng Together 2030 vision and the African Union's Agenda 2063 to create "a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of businesspersons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union" towards the formation of a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development.
The day ended with site visits to two of Gauteng's Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the OR Tambo SEZ and Tshwane Automotive SEZ.