As ties between South Africa and Kuwait strengthen, an opportunity had emerged for South African companies to participate in Kuwait’s infrastructure projects, South African Ambassador to Kuwait Delarey van Tonder said on Thursday.

During a Department of Trade and Industry- (DTI-) led outward selling mission to Kuwait, he said the two countries had expressed the political will to work closely together in various fields of cooperation covering areas such as trade and investment, transport, infrastructure development and women empowerment projects.

“South African companies have an opportunity to access the various infrastructure projects that Kuwait is embarking on, such as airport expansions, road infrastructure, metro rail developments, utility plants, hospitals and school projects. Additionally, new city developments are likely to provide further opportunities for South African industries,” added Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry board member Fahad Yaqoub Al-Jouan.

Kuwait was South Africa’s sixth largest export destination in the Middle East, with total bilateral trade reaching R933-million in 2012 and a trade balance of R246-million in favour of South Africa.

Van Tonder said the trade mission was also in support of the Kuwait Declaration issued last week at the Africa-Arab summit.

“The Africa-Arab partnership is of strategic importance to South Africa. This is due to the fact that both regions have huge potential to play meaningful roles, of mutual benefit, in their respective socioeconomic development processes, especially on agricultural, agroprocessing and beneficiation,” he explained.

Van Tonder urged South African businesses to “put resources together” and take advantage of this cooperation between both countries.

The delegation to Kuwait was expected to visit different government departments, importers, buyers, distributors and business associations, including Kuwait's Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies.