By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has touched down in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he will lead the celebration of South Africa Day at the Dubai Expo 2020 on Monday.
The president’s working visit will include attending the Dubai Expo – the first world expo held in the Middle East.
South Africa’s participation will invite visitors to “Think South Africa. Think Opportunity.’ Under the hashtag #BetterAfricaBetterWorld.
This as Ramaphosa wrapped up the fourth South Africa Investment Conference that was held in Sandton on Thursday with 80 investment pledges being made totaling R332 billion.
Ramaphosa is accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor; Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Ms Thoko Didiza; Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan; Minister of Higher Education , Science and Innovation Dr Bonginkosi Nzimande, and the Minister of Trade , Industry and Competition Mr Ebrahim Patel.
Expo 2020 Dubai has for the past six months since its premiere introduced participating countries, corporations, non –governmental organisations and educational institutions to a region of 3.2 billion people with an estimate accumulated gross domestic product of 6.5 trillion USD.
The hosts have retained the title Expo 2020 Dubai after the event which was originally scheduled for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The theme for Expo 2020 Dubai is “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”.
Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Expo 2020 Dubai commenced in October 2021, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates.
South Africa is among 192 countries that have established national pavilions at this global showcase of human ingenuity and innovation, national cultures and solutions to challenges confronting humanity.
At the South African pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, visitors have immersed themselves in South African innovation, culture and ingenuity.
Trade and investment opportunities, world-class technology, creative arts, tourism, sports and unique cultural diversity and tolerance have been proudly highlighted by SMMEs, youth and women-led organisations, established businesses with an international footprint and emerging innovators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The South African pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai hosted visitors physically and virtually, where 103 companies exhibited.
On Monday, 28 March 2022, Ramaphosa will address the South African Dubai 2020 Expo National Day Celebration at the Al Wasl Plaza in Dubai.
The President will then tour the pavilions of South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the African Union.
Following the tours, Ramaphosa will hold an interaction with the Multichoice SMME Accelerator Activation, which showcases leading-edge small enterprises from South Africa in health tech, fin tech, the green economy, edtech and creative industries.
The Accelerator Activation offers SMMEs the opportunity to unlock growth capital and market opportunities from investors across the UAE, and to leverage relationships from the Dubai Expo and trade stakeholders.
The President will later in the afternoon engage in a Town Hall with media. This engagement will be streamed on all Presidency and government digital pages.
In the evening, the President will address an Investment Opportunities in South Africa Dinner with aim of bolstering South Africa’s five-year domestic and international investment drive with a target of R1,2 trillion.
Ramaphosa’s Working Visit will strengthen bilateral and economic cooperation between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE is South Africa’s main trading partner within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and is still growing as a lucrative export market for South African products and services.
South Africa’s top 10 imports from the UAE were valued at R17.3 billion out of a total of R19.6 billion in 2020.
South Africa’s exports to the UAE totalled R24,9 billion in 2020, with the top 10 products accounting for R16,7 billion.