Angolan President João Lourenço visited South Africa last week to strengthen economic ties and explore strategic partnerships between the two nations.
The visit aimed to enhance bilateral trade and investment, focusing on key sectors such as energy, mining, infrastructure, and logistics.
Discussions centered on maximizing the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, advancing mineral beneficiation strategies, and leveraging Angola’s Lobito Trans-Africa Corridor as a model for regional integration. Both countries also explored cross-border opportunities for businesses.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the potential for cooperation in various sectors, stating, “[South Africa] seeks to revitalize our industrial base, modernize our infrastructure network, and strengthen logistics and supply chain connectivity with the rest of the continent.
This presents significant opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, agro-processing, energy, rail, infrastructure, healthcare, oil and gas, and mining.”
To further support bilateral cooperation, the leaders agreed to restructure the existing Joint Commission of Cooperation into a Bi-National Commission (BNC), with the inaugural session set for 2025.
President Ramaphosa highlighted that more than 20 South African entities are already investing in Angola across various sectors, including rail, agriculture, industrial parks, oil refineries, and manufacturing.
He also expressed interest in attracting more Angolan Foreign Direct Investment into South Africa’s economy, noting the involvement of South African Development Finance Institutions in financing key projects in Angola.
