South African mining companies to seek export opportunities in DRC

18th June 2019 By: African News Agency

JOHANNESBURG – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Tuesday it would lead a delegation of 40 South African mining companies to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to participate in that country's Mining Week event in Lubumbashi.

The event is the DRC's largest mining and industrial platform, bringing together over 3 000 delegates from more than 50 countries to explore and showcase the vast investment opportunities in the sector.

The DTI has been promoting the global competitiveness of exports through the expansion of markets for South African goods and services, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said in a statement.

“The DRC (is) a strategic partner on the continent and we believe that participation in the DRC Mining Week provides us with an ideal platform to expose our local businesspeople in the mining and allied industries to opportunities in the DRC especially within infrastructure which presents opportunities for collaboration and partnerships," he said.

Patel said South Africa was committed to the implementation of the Southern African Development Community's industrialisation strategy and roadmap and increasing partnerships with the DRC in advancing the fourth industrial revolution.

“We will strengthen existing economic and political relations between South Africa and other African countries and support partnerships and joint ventures between companies,” he said.

South African companies participating at DRC Mining Week are funded by the DTI through its export marketing and investment assistance scheme, one of whose objectives is to develop export markets for local products and services.

More than 1 000 companies benefited from the scheme in the last financial year.