Last Friday, the Benguela provincial government hosted a high-level meeting with a delegation of businesspeople from Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the 1st Angola-South Africa Business Tour.
On the occasion, South African businesspeople expressed interest not only in the Lobito Corridor, but also in sectors such as tourism, industry, agriculture, and the Praia da Lua project.
"The business tour, which began in the provinces of Huambo and Bié, culminated and concluded in the municipality of Lobito, Benguela province, where South African businesspeople and tourists expressed enthusiasm for the investment opportunities, particularly in tourism, industry, agriculture, and the innovative Praia da Lua Project," the statement read.
The governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior, attended the meeting and emphasized that "the province is open to new partnerships and investments, reinforcing its commitment to economic development and international cooperation."
The Angolan Consul General in South Africa, Elsa Caposso, who was also present at the meeting, "reaffirmed the consulate's commitment to continue working to mobilize foreign investors to Angola, with a focus on the economic dynamism of the provinces."
According to Caposso, the South Africans are showing great interest in investing in the provinces they visited.
"In Benguela, in the municipality of Catumbela, they received detailed information about the Industrial Development Hub and took the opportunity to express their interest in establishing a steel factory," said Caposso, who, quoted by Angop, also reported that the South Africans want to invest in agriculture, industry, livestock, and other sectors in the Lobito Corridor, with the local port and the Benguela Railway being attractive to their companies.
Caposso also made a promise: "Upon returning to South Africa, we will report on the outcome of the agreement, which will greatly contribute to the economic development of our country."
In turn, Rashid Toefy, Deputy Director-General for Economic Development of the Western Cape Province, said that his country has a broad logistics platform and can assist Angola in various sectors.
He cited mining sector as an example, highlighting its technical capacity and expertise, as well as its cruise ships that depart for Walvis Bay (Namibia), which can go even further north and reach the Port of Lobito, writes Angop.
"Our challenge is to improve the Port of Cape Town, so we realized during this visit that we can exchange experiences with the Port of Lobito," he said, adding that he invited Celso Rosas, Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA) of the Port of Lobito, to visit Cape Town to explore possible avenues for collaboration.
Celso Rosas reported that the businesspeople appreciated the information they received, indicating that "the conditions for strengthening cooperation have been created."
"This means that the conditions have been created to strengthen cooperation with both South African ports and companies, especially in the field of logistics," stated the CEO of the Port of Lobito, adding that after the visit, businesspeople expressed interest in deepening relations.
"Today, we see Africa as a common space, and all work will be done with a view to complementarity in the actions that the African continent must develop in its own interest and that of humanity," he said, quoted by Angop.
According to António Cabral, CEO of the Benguela Railway, the South Africans were surprised by the conditions they found in Angola. "They really enjoyed traveling by CFB train, appreciating our culture, and seeing places of tourist interest in the Lobito Corridor region."
The excursion, comprised of 55 South African businesspeople, lasted two days and was an initiative of the Consulate General of Angola in South Africa, as part of an investment attraction initiative.
