French President François Hollande will make a State visit to South Africa during the second half of October. This was revealed by the new French Ambassador to South Africa, Elisabeth Barbier, at the embassy’s Bastille Day celebrations (held on July 12 as July 14 was a Sunday). In her address, she noted that the strategic dialogue between the two countries is, in the view of Paris, “particularly important as we acknowledge South Africa as a driving force in Africa, as well as a global player, as shown by the hosting of the Brics [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] summit in Durban last March”.

Top Civil Servants
She reported that there had, in recent months, been a number of meetings between President Hollande and President Jacob Zuma and between the two countries’ Foreign Ministers. A number of other South African Ministers had visited France and the bilateral Political Dialogue Forum, between top civil servants, had recently taken place in Paris.

Barbier highlighted that, since 1994, the French Development Agency had made grants and soft loans worth €1.8-billion to South Africa, including more than €1-billion for the period from 2011 to 2014. “France prides itself on being one of South Africa’s solid partners in development, and is eager to support even more of your country’s programmes towards sustainable growth and the reduction of inequalities. “Among the numerous areas which South Africa has prioritised, infrastructures are a sector where French expertise, through its development agency and companies, can make a difference.”

French Investments

She pointed out that almost 300 French companies were present in South Africa (including representative offices and small and medium-sized enterprises), employing some 25 000 South Africans. French investments represented some 1% of South Africa’s gross domestic product. “Our Trade Commission, UbiFrance, is very active and can testify to the sustained interest shown towards South Africa among French business people.”

Barbier recalled the 2012 French season in South Africa. This involved “close to one hundred events which took place between June and November last year, ranging from photography and dance, to jazz and rock, from sciences to gastronomy and fashion. “In the framework of this French season, we also had two Ministerial visits, as well as a high level visit of French business leaders. And I should not forget the World Conference of Teachers of French in Durban, held for the first time in Africa.” She noted that there were some 100-million French-speakers in Africa.

This year is marked by the South African season in France, which started last month. This will involve more than 150 events in more than 100 French cities and towns and will also highlight South African science and technology and the economy, as well as the arts, culture and sport. These reciprocal seasons mark “the first time we have built such a project with a sub-Saharan country . . . this is all about real people-to-real people relationships”.

The start of the South African season was marked by Paris naming former South African President Nelson Mandela as an Honorary Citizen of the city. An exhibition, entitled Nelson Mandela, from Prisoner to President, was opened and is still running at the Paris City Hall. “As we all know that Madiba’s health is casting a shadow on our celebration, let me say that our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” she observed.

Switching to the multilateral level, Barbier stated that the recent South Africa-European Union (EU) summit showed “the importance the EU as a whole gives to its strategic relationship with your country”.