The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of South Africa are actively exploring ways to enhance their trade relations, building on the upward trend in non-oil trade between the two nations while creating additional opportunities for the private sectors of both countries.
His Excellency Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, the Minister of Foreign Trade, met with Mr. Parks Tau, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, to discuss methods to increase trade volumes and investments, as well as to strengthen cooperation between their private sectors.
The meeting underscored the UAE’s commitment to solidifying its economic ties with South Africa and the African continent as a whole, due to their growing significance in the global trade landscape.
This meeting followed previous discussions held between officials and business leaders from both sides, which included Fadhel Al Qargawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, along with an official delegation from South Africa.
During their discussions, both parties expressed their determination to enhance private sector collaboration and foster economic relations for mutual prosperity.
At the meeting, Al Zeyoudi highlighted the notable growth in non-oil trade between the UAE and South Africa, which reached $8.5 billion in 2024. This reflects a 14% increase compared to 2023 and a 120% rise from 2019.
He stated, “This trade momentum continued into early 2025, with non-oil trade flows amounting to $3.93 billion, making South Africa the UAE’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, accounting for 7.6% of total non-oil trade with the continent and ranking 22nd globally among the UAE’s trade partners.”
He added that there is a mutual commitment between the UAE and South Africa to continue strengthening their close ties in trade and investment, which was reaffirmed during their meeting. They also discussed joint projects in logistics, renewable energy, and real estate sectors.
Additionally, new opportunities in agriculture, food production, infrastructure, and industry were explored, with both sides agreeing that joint collaboration will enable them to build on this positive momentum and support the economic and developmental ambitions of both nations.
The UAE continues to enhance its developmental partnerships with the African continent to achieve sustainable growth and comprehensive development.
With the recent signing of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Angola, the UAE has now established five similar agreements with sub-Saharan African countries, including Mauritius, Kenya, Congo-Brazzaville, and the Central African Republic.