By Akani Nkuna
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has emphasised the importance of strengthening South Africa’s partnership with France, with a focus on areas such as investment, trade, innovation and skills development.
He noted that enhanced collaboration would not only benefit both nations economically but also help address inequality and create more opportunities for marginalised communities.
“We understand that by enhancing integration and collaborating with countries like France, we can promote inclusive economic growth,” said Mashatile at the SA-France Investment Conference in France on Wednesday.
“We are determined to continue enhancing this relationship. This is because our partnership in trade and investment has already created jobs and boosted economic growth.”
Mashatile is leading a high-level delegation of ministers, government officials and business leaders on a working visa to France aimed at strengthening economic and trade ties between the two countries.
According to Mashatile, the visit presented a valuable opportunity for investors to tap into a range of sectors including agriculture, mining, green manufacturing and tourism.
“South Africa remains a competitive business and investment hub despite global economic challenges. Our goal is to unlock significant opportunities across various sectors, promoting sustainable economic growth and inclusive development while maximising trade and investment opportunities,” he added.
Reaffirming SA’s commitment to policy certainty and regulatory reform, Mashatile highlighted ongoing efforts to improve the ease of doing business through the country’s One Stop Shop platform, noting that government was working closely with the private sector to address obstacles and fast-track high-impact investments.
On the trade front, Mashatile emphasised the need for South Africa to diversify its export portfolio, highlighting the country’s readiness to serve as a partner for high value-added goods.
He said South Africa has identified a list of its top 100 products aimed at entering the French market, with plans to promote them through inward buying missions, trade exhibitions and targeted sourcing initiatives.
Areas of collaboration highlighted by Mashatile included South Africa’s strategic investments in renewable energy infrastructure, green hydrogen, battery energy storage and skills development.
Another area was critical transition minerals, including rare earth elements such as lithium, vanadium and cobalt.
“These minerals are abundant in South Africa, and through beneficiation and ethical extraction, we hope to move up the value chain. In this regard, we are looking to our international partners, including France, to bring advanced technologies, innovation and sustainable practices to this space,” the deputy president said.
He said South Africa welcomed partnerships with French companies like Sanofi to scale local manufacturing capacity, support technology transfer and invest in regional health resilience.
The country wanted to build on existing partnerships such as the ongoing collaboration between Sanofi and Biovac to produce Hesaxim and the new tech transfer partnership signed at the launch of the GAVI Accelerator.
Mashatile said just as promising was the hemp and cannabis economy.
South Africa was developing a regulatory framework that encouraged investment, research and commercialisation in the sector, which had the potential to spur industrial innovation, revitalise rural economies and create thousands of jobs, he said.
“We believe that French expertise in agritech and pharmaceuticals can play a significant role in this regard.”
Mashatile also extended his appreciation to French companies for their continued investment and dedication to SA’s economic growth and regional development, whom he said since the inaugural of South Africa Investment Conference in 2018 have pledged over R70 billion in investments.
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