Bilateral Relations in the fields of Trade and Investment between South Africa and China南非与中国在贸易和投资领域的双边关系

As the Minister of Trade and Investment of South African Embassy in China, I am very honored to welcome the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Africa and People’s Republic of China in my terms of office.

Our countries share a long history of both political and economic cooperation over many years, which is illustrated by the numerous bi-lateral agreements and people-to-people interactions from the highest level of His Excellences’ President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa to the continuous exchanges of business and cultural delegations.

In January 1998, South Africa and China established formal diplomatic relations. Over the past 25 years of our diplomatic ties, South Africa and China’s bilateral relations have made great leaps, from partnership to strategic partnership and to comprehensive strategic partnership.  Last year, we have signed our 10 Year Strategic Framework of Cooperation (2020-2029), in which the programmes cover a wide range of sectoral areas of co-operation between the two governments, with commitments to be achieved over 10 years.

China is one of the most important and dynamic partners of South Africa, which is further anchored by the High-Level PPEM, the BNC, the Strategic Dialogue, and the Joint Working Group. All these structures meet at certain levels to iron out the structured mechanisms and tangible outcomes of our bilateral relations.

Both China and South Africa are important developing countries in the world, and the friendship between the two countries has already surpassed the scope of bilateral relations. This is a relationship of equal partners, in which we have broad consensus and further cooperate on multilateral, global development, security issues and other major international and regional issues. Our relations are further strengthened by our participation in the framework of international organizations and multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, G20, BRICS, BRI, FOCAC, and etc. Both countries always adhere to true multilateralism and solidarity cooperation, and resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests and common interests of developing countries and coordinate all parties to jointly promote inclusive growth of the world economy and a more just and reasonable international order.

President Xi Jinping has made three State Visits to South Africa and co-chaired the 2018 Beijing FOCAC Summit with President Cyril Ramaphosa. The two leaders mapped out a blueprint for South Africa – China relations and Africa – China relations. Our leaders also personally engage on a regular basis, most recently at the successful 14th BRICS Leaders’ Summit hosted by China. They further interacted during the Summits of the G20 and the FOCAC.

On 15 November 2022, our two Presidents met in Bali, Indonesia, on the side-lines of the G20 Summit and instructed us to deepen trade and investment between our two countries and keep industrial and supply chains open as we strive to recover from global shocks such as the pandemic, climate change and conflicts.

On 14 February 2023, Ramaphosa met with former Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan as the two nations ramp up widespread efforts to elevate political, defense, economic, and people-to-people ties in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era.  This high- level meeting took place in South Africa for the 3rd SA-China High Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism (PPEM) meeting.

As the political foundation of China-South Africa cooperation continues to consolidate, the economic and trade exchanges between the two countries have become increasingly close, which has become a highlight of South Africa- China cooperation. China has been South Africa’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and the bilateral trade volume between China and South Africa accounts for one-fifth of the total trade volume between China and Africa.

According to the latest data from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the total bilateral trade between China and South Africa in 2022 reached about 34 billion US dollars, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year.

Driven by the booming trade exchanges, more and more Chinese enterprises are investing in South Africa, the growing confidence and business relations between our countries is best illustrated by the large Chinese community residing in South Africa, and the over 180 prominent Chinese companies already invested and successfully operating within our economy.  Recent figures indicate that the total stock of foreign direct investment from China in South Africa in 2021 amounted to 5.3 billion USD, creating more than 400,000 local jobs. It is our hope that we can double these numbers.

Chinese enterprises have brought much-needed technology and capital to the development of South Africa’s manufacturing industry. Chinese brand automobiles and home appliances have been produced in South Africa, and high-quality and low-cost products have thus entered the homes of ordinary Africans. The production capacity cooperation between the two countries has achieved complementary advantages and win – win situation.

Investment has been more diversified and has targeted not only natural resources but also the autos, chemical, energy, digital, agriculture and construction sectors.

By way of example, an early milestone in Chinese investment in South Africa came with the 2007 Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) purchase of a 20% stake in South Africa’s Standard Bank, the largest bank on the African continent. Valued at $5.5 billion at the time, the investment was the largest foreign direct investment into the country to date, in addition to being the largest investment by a Chinese bank outside China at the time.

Further, Technology player Hisense has invested US$5 billion and FAW US60 million into new manufacturing capacity in South Africa, joining Chinese brands such as Huawei, Haval, GWM, BAIC and JAC that have seen significant returns on investment in South Africa.

A notable and ongoing investment is that of CITIC Group into the Ivanhoe platinum mine in Limpopo Province. An initial investment into the development of the mine for $1 billion was made in 2019, and an additional investment for a further $2 billion was made in 2022 to acquire a 30% stake in the operation. This will result in CITIC Minerals being one of the world leaders in the production of Platinum Group Metals when the mine goes into production.

President Ramaphosa has opened South Africa’s doors to welcome Chinese investors to South Africa, and China also supports Chinese companies investing and doing business in South Africa and expand China’s import of quality products from South Africa. The investment from our Chinese partners is what we need. Our President hosts the South African Investment Conference each year in order to drive and secure 100 billion US Dollars in new investments and bankable projects into the South African economy over 5 years. The most recent 4th Investment Conference held early last year saw 90% of this target being already achieved.  A significant part of this investment has come from Chinese enterprises who are doing exceptional business in South Africa. I am pleased to inform you that our President has recently announced that the 5th Investment Conference will be held on the 13th of April 2023.

South Africa have a lot to offer, in the form of our industrious workforce, abundant natural and mineral resources, world class infrastructure, sophisticated tele-communications systems, and a well-regulated and globally respected financial and banking sector which is fully integrated across the entire African continent.  

In January 2021, we have started the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area to boost intra-Africa trade and link with the outside world. This treaty will unleash the manufacturing and industrial capability of the continent as companies seek to make products for the growing African market of 1.37 billion people.

The government’s industrial policy has highlighted a number of priority industry sectors to direct resources towards fast tracking growth such as automotive, clothing and textiles, gas, chemicals and plastics, tourism, renewable energy, oceans economy, agriculture, mining and beneficiation, the digital economy and the high-tech industries.

There are a number of other industries which present viable opportunities for Chinese investors. Pharmaceuticals and healthcare are one of the fastest growing sectors as a result of the pandemic and there are existing Chinese investors who are seeking to increase their investment in South Africa in the next 12 months.

A further area of economic cooperation and trade with China is South Africa’s quality agricultural exports. The opportunities for further cooperation in South Africa’s agricultural sector are abundant. The Chinese consumers are increasingly enjoying our agricultural products with considerable increases in the sales of our wines, fruits, wool, seafood, nuts, tea, aloe products, tobacco, maize, lucerne, and beef. The two countries are in the process of developing protocols for the export of additional South African agricultural products such as avocadoes, soya beans, dairy products, aquaculture products, and pet food.

A more long-term and sustainable option is for Chinese companies to invest in the agricultural value chains in South Africa. By integrating supply chains into specific product sectors, more products can be produced for exclusively for Chinese consumption. Some companies have already done this in the wine industry and are operating successful businesses.

Our economy cannot grow without efficient ports and railways. South Africa’s port infrastructure provides significant opportunities for the bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the future. Integration with South Africa’s ports gains Chinese businesspeople and investors access to not only South Africa but the entire African continent. Our extensive port infrastructure has made us to be known as “the gateway to Africa” and formed an integral part of international trade and logistics.

South Africa is currently modernizing and expanding its ports. The three international airports in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town may offer faster movement of precious and perishable goods between China and South Africa. The inland City Deep Port of Johannesburg provides road and rail cargo movement to the rest of the continent. The plans for the expansion of Durban Container Terminal are at an advanced stage. This expansion will require significant new investments over the next decade to expand its annual container handling capacity from 2.9 million units to more than 11 million units. This presents significant opportunities for Chinese investors.

In an endeavor to revive South Africa’s economy, government has identified various sectors to stimulate investment and job creation:

• The hemp and cannabis sector has the potential to create more than 130 000 new jobs. We are therefore streamlining the regulatory processes. The government would review the policy and regulatory framework for industrial hemp and cannabis to realise the huge potential for investment and job creation. People in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and elsewhere are ready to farm with this age-old commodity and bring it to market in new and innovative forms.

• An important pillar of our Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is to revitalize our manufacturing base and create globally competitive export industries. In the past year, we launched new master plans in the steel industry, furniture and global business services.

• To attract investors into the mining minerals needed in the new global economy, we will soon be finalizing our mining exploration strategy. We will continue to support the development of the upstream gas industry, as it holds huge potential for job creation and broader economic development.

• South Africa ‘s National Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan recognizes that the pursuit of green industrialization and a green future is important in driving economic competitiveness. Critical interventions in the green economy include expanding the programme to repurpose public and private buildings and improve energy and water efficiency, support for small grower farmers, and measures to support the diversion of waste from landfills and promoting the Circular Economy. South Africa acknowledges that there is now an increasing recognition that issues related to the challenges in provision of global energy should be addressed as a matter of urgency. This requires a massively scaled up investment in renewable energy around the world, which would also contribute towards addressing and combatting Climate Change. The South African government has awarded 25 contracts for renewable energy projects totalling 50 billion rand ($2.8 billion) in order to reduce the country’s reliance on coal-fired power generation. It is clear that many businesses in South Africa are turning to solar energy. We support efforts to invest in sustainable development initiatives that will shape a greener future for all.

Tourism is also vitality important for developing countries. Each tourist creates jobs and sustains livelihoods. As we grow our trade in services, tourism is important because it constitutes 3% of our national income and contributes about 4.5% of total employment. The potential for enhanced tourist cooperation with China alone can significantly increase these numbers. China just announced that Chinese travel agencies would resume group tours to certain countries, starting from February 6, 2023. We are very happy to see that South Africa was selected as one of the pilot countries to receive group tourists after nearly three years of suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. I believe that under such favorable policies, more and more Chinese tourists will come to experience our “Rainbow Nation” this year. I believe efforts to revive the tourism sector present a unique opportunity to position it for long-term sustainable growth and will become a catalyst for a broader economic recovery.

As we foster more cooperation in post-COVID-19 economic recovery, we must encourage trade in manufactured value-added products by encouraging Chinese enterprises to increase investment into South Africa’s manufacturing industry and closer to the source of Africa’s abundant raw materials. We must continue to jointly build efficient and modern economic infrastructure, increase trade and investment for the mutual benefit of our nations.

South Africa and its government provide the political and policy certainty to allow an enabling environment for business to grow and operate where their investment would be protected.  There is the rule of law in South Africa, the judiciary is independent, and the legal framework is strong, especially around commerce, taxation, maritime issues, competition law, intellectual property, and property rights and other basic human rights. Most notably was the Protection of Investment Act that came into operation in 2018, aimed at achieving a balance of rights and obligations that apply to all investors. South Africa’s democracy is strong, resilient with durable institutions, confirming the political stability of our country over the past 28 years and into the future.

Since South Africa joined the BRICS partnership, our biliteral trade has increase significantly. South Africa is going to host the 15th BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 August 2023, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry will be hosting member states’ businesspeople a week before the Summit to meet with their counterparts and officials. Together they will visit key regions to explore trade and investment opportunities. We therefor urge the Chinese business community that express interest in South Africa to be a part of this initiative and come visit the Embassy.

Lastly, the two countries will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. This is no small feat, and it is an important milestone, especially for democratic South Africa that is a late comer in international affairs and the global community. The achievements of our bilateral relations are massive, and we look forward to the next 25 years. May our relations continue to grow, as guided by our two leaders.

作为南非驻华大使馆的商务公使，我非常荣幸能在我的任期内迎接南非与中华人民共和国建交25周年的日子。

我们两国在政治和经济合作方面有着悠久的历史，从最高级别的领导人习近平主席和西里尔·拉马福萨总统的互访到商业和文化代表团的不断交流，以及许多双边协议的签署和人文互动都充分说明了这一点。

1998年1月，南非和中国正式建立了外交关系。在过去25年的外交关系中，南非和中国的双边关系获得了巨大飞跃，从伙伴关系到战略伙伴关系，再到全面战略伙伴关系。去年，我们签署了10年战略合作框架（2020-2029年），其中的项目涵盖了两国政府间大量的行业合作领域，合作框架承诺它们将在10年内完成。

紧密和多维的双边关系

中国是南非最重要、最具活力的合作伙伴之一，南非和中国的高级别人文交流机制、中南双边委员会全会、战略对话和联合工作组等机构设置也进一步巩固了中国的地位。所有这些设置会在一定程度上融合，从而强化我们双边关系的结构性机制和具体成果。

中国和南非都是世界上重要的发展中国家，两国间的友谊已经超越了双边关系的范畴。它成为一种平等的伙伴关系，我们在多边、全球发展、安全问题以及其他重大国际和地区问题上都达成了广泛共识并深化了合作。通过参与联合国、二十国集团、金砖国家、“一带一路”倡议、中非合作论坛等国际组织和多边机制框架，我们也进一步加强了两国关系。两国始终坚持真正的多边主义和团结合作，坚决维护发展中国家的合法权益和共同利益，努力协调各方共同促进世界经济的包容性增长和更加公正合理的国际秩序。

习近平主席已经对南非进行了三次国事访问，并与西里尔·拉马福萨总统共同主持了2018年中非合作论坛北京峰会。两位领导人为南非和中国关系以及非洲和中国关系绘就了蓝图。而且我们的领导人会定期亲自参与，比如最近一次在中国成功主办的第十四届金砖国家领导人峰会。他们在二十国集团峰会和中非合作论坛期间也有深入的互动。

2022年11月15日，两国元首在印度尼西亚巴厘岛举行的二十国集团峰会上会面，并明确表示要深化两国间的贸易和投资，保持产业和供应链开放，这样才能努力从疫情、气候变化和冲突等全球冲击中复苏。

2023年2月14日，拉马福萨总统会见了中国前副总理孙春兰，表明两国加强了在新冠肺炎疫情后政治、防务、经济和人文关系方面的广泛努力。这次高级别会议是在南非举行的第三次南非与中国高级别人文交流机制会议。

不断深化的贸易与投资关系

随着中国与南非合作的政治基础不断巩固，两国的经贸往来也日益密切，这已成为双方合作的一大亮点。中国连续13年一直是南非最大的贸易伙伴，中国和南非的双边贸易额占到中国和非洲贸易总额的五分之一。

根据南非税务局的最新数据，2022年中国与南非的双边贸易总额达到约340亿美元，同比增长11.5%。

在蓬勃发展的贸易往来的推动下，越来越多的中国企业正在南非投资，南非现在有大型华人居住的社区，180多家知名中国公司已经参与到南非经济发展中，他们不仅投资，而且经营也很成功，这些都是两国之间日益增长的信心和商业关系的最好证明。最近的数据显示，2021年中国对南非的外国直接投资总额达到53亿美元，同时为当地创造了40多万个就业机会。我们希望未来我们能让这些数字翻一番。

中国企业为南非制造业的发展带来了急需的技术和资金。中国品牌的汽车和家电已经开始在南非生产，质高价廉的产品也因此进入了普通非洲人的家。两国的产能合作迎来了优势互补和共赢的局面。

中国的投资已经更加多样化，不仅涉及自然资源，还瞄准了汽车、化工、能源、数字、农业和建筑行业。

举例来讲，中国早期在南非投资的一个里程碑项目是2007年中国工商银行收购了非洲最大银行南非标准银行20%的股份。当时这项投资价值55亿美元，是中国对南非最大的一笔外国直接投资，也是中国银行在境外的最大投资。

此后，科技巨头海信和中国一汽在开拓新制造能力方面分别在南非投资50亿美元和6000万美元。再后来加入的中国品牌还有华为、哈弗汽车、长城汽车、北汽和江淮汽车等，它们在南非的投资都获得了丰厚的回报。

中信集团对林坡坡省艾芬豪铂矿的投资是一项值得注意且持续的投资。2019年它对该矿的开发给予了10亿美元的初始投资，2022年又追加了20亿美元的投资，从而收购了该矿30%的股份。这将使中信矿业在矿山投产后成为铂类金属生产的世界领导者之一。

拉马福萨总统敞开南非的大门，欢迎中国投资者前往南非，中国也支持中国公司在南非投资和做生意，并扩大中国从南非进口优质产品。南非需要中国这一合作伙伴的投资。南非总统每年都会主办南非投资会议，旨在在5年内为南非经济引入1000亿美元的新投资和银行担保的项目。去年年初举行的最近一次，即第四次投资会议，已经实现了这一目标的90%。投资中的很大一部分来自中国企业，它们在南非开展的业务也非常成功。这里我很高兴地告知大家，南非总统最近宣布，第五届投资会议将于2023年4月13日举行。

南非能够提供的有很多，包括勤劳的劳动力、丰富的自然和矿产资源、世界级的基础设施、先进的远程通信系统，以及监管良好、受到全球尊重的金融和银行部门，它在整个非洲大陆已经完全实现了一体化。

2021 年1月，非洲大陆自由贸易区条约开始实施，旨在促进非洲内部的贸易以及与外部世界的联系。该条约能够使非洲大陆的制造业和产业能力呈爆发态势，因为所有公司都在寻求为拥有13.7亿人口并且还在不断增长的非洲市场生产产品的机会。

政府的产业政策强调了一些优先行业，旨在将资源引向它们，令其获得快速增长，包括汽车、服装和纺织品、天然气、化学品和塑料、旅游业、可再生能源、海洋经济、农业、采矿和选矿、数字经济和高科技产业。

还有一些其他行业也为中国投资者提供了可行的机会。由于疫情，制药和医疗保健是发展最快的行业之一，现有的中国投资者都打算在未来12个月内增加其对南非的投资。

与中国展开经贸合作的另一个领域是南非高品质的农产品出口。在南非的农业部门开展进一步合作的机会十分丰富。随着我们的葡萄酒、水果、羊毛、海鲜、坚果、茶、芦荟产品、烟草、玉米、苜蓿和牛肉在中国的销量大幅增加，中国的消费者越来越喜欢我们的农产品。两国正在制定关于其他南非农产品的出口协议，比如鳄梨、大豆、乳制品、水产养殖产品和宠物食品。

一个更长期、更可持续的选项是中国公司对南非的农业价值链进行投资。通过将供应链整合到特定的产品行业，就可以生产更多专门供中国市场消费的产品。一些公司已经在葡萄酒行业这么做了，而且它们的业务经营得非常成功。

加强基础设施与制造业合作，重振南非经济

如果没有高效的港口和铁路，南非的经济就无法实现增长。南非的港口基础设施为未来的双边经贸合作提供了重要机遇。对南非港口进行整合不仅可以方便中国的商人和投资者进入南非，也有助于他们进入整个非洲大陆。南非大量的港口基础设施使其被称为“通往非洲的门户”，同时也成为国际贸易和物流的组成部分。

南非目前正在对其港口进行现代化改造和扩建。位于约翰内斯堡、德班和开普敦的三个国际机场可以为往来于中国和南非之间的贵重和易腐货物提供更快的运输。约翰内斯堡内陆的城市深水港为非洲大陆的其他地区提供了公路和铁路货物运输。德班集装箱码头的扩建计划已进入后期阶段。这一扩建方案在未来十年需要引入大量的新投资，从而将其年集装箱处理能力从290万个增加到1100多万个。这给中国投资者带来了重大机遇。
为了重振南非经济，政府已经明确了能够刺激投资和创造就业的各个行业：

● 大麻和大麻制品行业具有创造超过13万个新的就业机会的潜力。因此，政府正在简化监管程序，政府还将审查工业大麻和大麻制品的政策和监管框架，尽快将其投资和创造就业的巨大潜力发挥出来。东开普省、夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省和其他地方的人们已经准备好耕种这一古老的商品，并采用新的创新方式将其推向市场。

● 南非经济重建和复苏计划的一个重要支柱是夯实制造业基础，打造具有全球竞争力的出口产业。在过去一年里，针对南非的钢铁产业、家具和全球商业服务，政府推出了新的总体规划。

● 为了吸引投资者进入新的全球经济所需的采矿业，南非将很快制定出采矿勘探战略。南非将继续支持上游天然气行业的发展，因为它在创造就业机会和促进更广泛的经济发展方面具有巨大潜力。

● 南非国家经济重建和复苏计划意识到，追求绿色工业化和绿色未来对提高经济竞争力至关重要。对绿色经济的关键干预措施包括增加重新利用公共和私人建筑的项目，提高能源和水的使用效率，扶持小种植户，采取措施支持废物从垃圾填埋场的转移，以及促进循环经济的发展。南非承认，现在人们越来越认识到，凡是与全球能源供应遇到的挑战有关的问题都应作为紧急事务加以解决。这需要在世界各地大规模增加对可再生能源的投资，它也有助于应对和解决气候变化带来的问题。南非政府已经批准了25个与可再生能源项目有关的合同，总额达500亿兰特（折合28亿美元），目的是减少国家对燃煤发电的依赖。很明显，南非的许多企业正在转向使用太阳能。南非支持努力为可持续发展倡议进行投资，因为这些倡议将为所有人塑造一个更加绿色的未来。

旅游业也是发展中国家实现发展的一个重要活力源泉。每位游客的到来都能为国家创造就业机会并使一些人维持生计。在发展服务贸易的时候，旅游业占据了非常重要的位置，因为它占到南非国民收入的3%，并且创造了约4.5%的总就业。仅与中国加强旅游合作的潜力就可以使这些数字得到显著提升。中国刚刚宣布，中国旅行社从2023年2月6日起恢复前往一些国家的团体旅游。在因新冠疫情停止近三年后，南非很荣幸地被选为接待团体游客的试点国家之一。我相信，在这样的优惠政策下，今年一定会有越来越多的中国游客来“彩虹之国”观光体验。我也相信，南非在重振旅游业方面所做的努力为旅游业的长期可持续发展提供了一个独特的机会，它还将成为更广泛的经济复苏的催化剂。

当我们在新冠疫情后的经济复苏过程中展开更多合作时，我们必须鼓励中国企业增加对南非制造业的投资，并且更充分地利用非洲丰富的原材料，从而扩大制造业增值产品的贸易。我们必须继续共同建设高效和现代化的经济基础设施，增加贸易和投资，以实现两国的共同利益。

南非及其政府提供了政治和政策的确定性，企业的投资受到保护，这就使其业务的经营和发展拥有了有利环境。南非实行法治，司法独立，法律框架健全，特别是在商业、税务、海事、竞争法、知识产权、产权和其他基本人权方面。最值得一提的是2018年开始执行的投资保护法，它的目的是确保适用于所有投资者的权利和义务的平衡。南非的民主是强大的，有很好的适应性，并且有持久的制度支撑，它能够保障南非过去28年以及未来的政治稳定。

自从南非加入金砖国家伙伴关系后，两国的双边贸易大幅增长。南非将于2023年8月22日至24日主办金砖国家第十五次峰会，贸易和工业部将在峰会前一周接待成员国的商界人士，与这些同行和官员会面。他们还将一起走访一些重要地区，探讨贸易和投资的机会。希望中国对南非感兴趣的商界人士能加入到这一行列中来，欢迎你们向大使馆了解具体情况。

最后，2023年两国庆祝了建交25周年。这是一个不小的成就，也是一个重要的里程碑，尤其对于在国际事务和全球社会中出现较晚的民主南非来说。两国关系已经取得了巨大成就，我们对未来25年充满期待。祝愿我们的关系在两国领导人的引领下继续发展。