South African business delegation to visit India to explore trade opportunities
A South African business delegation will travel to New Delhi next week to explore opportunities to strengthen economic ties with India and address the trade imbalance between the two countries.
The South African BRICS Business Council (SABBC) will participate in the BRICS Business Council and Business Forum meetings scheduled in New Delhi on September 10 and 11, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
Established in 2013, the SABBC works to promote trade, investment and public-private dialogue between South Africa and BRICS member nations, with a focus on industrialisation, green energy and African economic development.
The delegation will explore opportunities in advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, digital services, agro-processing and renewable energy. It will focus on expanding higher-value exports and developing investment partnerships.
India is among South Africa's most important BRICS+ trading partners, accounting for 20.8 per cent of South Africa's trade with the grouping in 2025.
However, South Africa recorded a trade deficit of around USD 3.18 billion with India. Its exports were mainly coal, manganese and chemical wood pulp, while imports largely consisted of petroleum, vehicles, pharmaceuticals and machinery.
The SABBC said the trade imbalance would serve as a "commercial mandate" to increase higher-value exports, attract investment partnerships and move bilateral ties beyond a buyer-seller relationship towards co-investment, technology cooperation and improved market access.
The agenda will include discussions on using Indian technology and capital to establish South Africa as a regional automotive manufacturing hub. Partnerships in pharmaceuticals and medical devices will also be explored to expand access across Africa.
The two sides are also expected to discuss skills-exchange programmes covering information technology, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The delegation will promote South African agricultural products in the Indian market while exploring the adoption of Indian processing and packaging technologies. Discussions are also expected on joint ventures in renewable energy and green hydrogen.
SABBC Chairperson Busi Mabuza said the delegation would seek to turn discussions into "measurable transactions" through investment facilitation, business matchmaking and projects in energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and the digital economy.
She said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) created opportunities for BRICS partners to invest in infrastructure, industrial projects and regional value chains.
Mabuza also pointed to the role of the BRICS New Development Bank, saying it had approved more than R6.41 billion in financing for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in South Africa.
"India's next phase of growth requires partners that can offer resource security, African market access, industrial collaboration and innovation opportunities. South Africa has these advantages," she said.
Mabuza said shifting the relationship towards higher-value exports, investment partnerships and knowledge transfer could help create jobs in South Africa, strengthen its industrial base and develop resilient supply chains for both countries. (with inputs from PTI)
