Economic bilateral relations between South Africa and Peru will receive a shot on the arm when businesspeople from the two countries gather in Lima, Peru, to launch the South Africa–Peru Chamber of Commerce (Sapcham) on Wednesday.

The chamber aimed to increase trade and investment between South Africa and Peru, with the establishment of Sapcham in South Africa expected in the near future.

Sapcham’s inaugural president Guillermo van Oordt noted that the launch of the organisation was a “momentous occasion” that would add further impetus to efforts to enhance economic relations between the two countries. 

Addressing a South Africa–Peru Business Seminar in Lima on Monday, South African ambassador to Peru Elsa Dry said the launch could not have come at a more opportune time as it coincided with the weeklong visit to Peru by an 18-member business delegation from South Africa.

The group formed part of the Outward Trade and Investment Mission organised by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Speaking on the sidelines of the seminar, Van Oordt said he was upbeat about the crucial role the chamber would play in facilitating constant interaction between businesspeople from the two countries.

“Peru has engaged in efforts to establish closer economic ties with South Africa and this chamber will go a long way in supporting those initiatives and bring the South African businesspeople who [are active] in Peru and their Peruvian counterparts closer to each other,” Van Oordt commented.

He felt that there were unlimited opportunities for South African businesspeople in Peru and the chamber would provide a perfect platform for these opportunities to be explored.

South African Breweries, Standard Chartered Bank, Anglo American and Gold Fields were some of the founding members of Sapcham.

Currently, about ten chambers of commerce had been established in Peru by businesspeople from countries such as Brazil, the US, Spain, China, Chile, Canada, Italy and Argentina and their Peruvian counterparts.