Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe has called on South Africa and Turkey to form an alliance to leverage off each other’s strengths to enable the countries to support industries and exploit opportunities in their respective regions.

Speaking at a business seminar comprising South African and Turkish businesspeople on the occasion of an outward selling and investment mission to Turkey, she noted that the similarities between the two countries were striking.

“As emerging economies, we both play a dominant role in our respective regions. The growth of our countries are following the same trajectory and if I compare our gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita, both countries are affected by the same challenges.

“It is, therefore, of key importance that we combine our strengths to increase the less-than-impressive trade volumes that currently exist between our countries,” she said.

Thabethe added that South Africa is a key market in sub-Saharan Africa and a great strategic partner, not only from a regionwide perspective, but also for global issues.

“Our economies are by and large not rivals but rather complementary. In line with our Industrial Policy Action Plan, Turkish companies will benefit from the need for South Africa to process its wealth of minerals into value-added products to be utilised domestically or to be exported,” the Minister commented.
 
Thabethe also held bilateral meetings with the DEIK Turkey-Africa Business Council and the Textiles Exporters Union.

DEIK Turkey-Africa Business Council chairperson Tamer Taskin pointed out that Turkey had invested more than $5-billion in South Africa.

“Our economy is the seventeenth largest in the world. We have [some] of the most favourable conditions [for] setting up business operations. Our prices are highly competitive and our services sector is our biggest selling point. All these conditions are for your benefit and I urge all of you to utilise our services,” he said.