Pretoria: Deputy President Paul Mashatile is set to embark on a working visit to the People’s Republic of China, accompanied by key figures from his administration. This visit, commencing on Monday, will see the Deputy President participating in the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE).
According to South African Government News Agency, the Deputy President will be joined by Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Thandi Moraka; Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams; Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau; Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina; and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. The CISCE is the world’s first national-level expo dedicated to global supply chains and is hosted under the auspices of the Chinese Central Government and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
The high-level South African delegation’s participation signifies an opportunity to advance the South Africa-China All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership. It also reinforces South Africa’s position as a gateway to Sub-Saharan Africa for trade, investment, and industrial cooperation. South Africa has been accorded Guest Country status for the expo, with the theme ‘South Africa: Your Pathway to Supply Chain Resilience’.
The visit will focus on promoting strategic sectors such as renewable energy, logistics, pharmaceuticals, mineral beneficiation, and the digital economy. It also aims to showcase a robust pipeline of investable projects to attract targeted Chinese investment, particularly into Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and critical infrastructure. Furthermore, the visit will enhance bilateral collaboration on clean technologies, digital skills development, and industrial standards. It will also advance South Africa’s objectives for supply chain resilience, accelerated industrialization, and deeper integration within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.
In addition to attending the expo, the visit will include a dedicated bilateral programme aligned with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and the Ten-Year Strategic Programme of Cooperation (2020-2029) between South Africa and China. This includes a particular emphasis on Chapter Two on Mutual Beneficial Economic Cooperation and Trade. The visit is part of the evolving strategic trajectory of the South Africa-China relationship and reaffirms both countries’ commitment to deepening mutual cooperation in support of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.