Business urged to invest in South Sudan

South Sudan is Africa’s newest state which gained independence from Sudan on 9 July  2011.

Addressing delegates at a breakfast meeting that trade promotion body ZimTrade organised, Foreign Affairs deputy director multilateral economics Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro said the JCC would be concluded next year.

“Basically it is an umbrella framework for cooperation in all areas. It provides for private to private cooperation, government to government cooperation and government to private cooperation. We are still developing it,” he said.

“It gives surety of political will and commitment by governments of South Sudan and Zimbabwe.

“This shows that the two governments will have a buy-in on what will be happening,” he said.

ZimTrade was giving feedback to various stakeholders on the trade mission it recently embarked on in Juba, South Sudan.

Mr Mukonoweshuro said the JCC was the first one between Zimbabwe and South Sudan.

“All those who want to do business in any            of the two countries can request for assistance either from South Sudan or Zimbabwe,” he  said.

South Sudan embassy second secretary for trade and investment Ms Fiona Wongo confirmed that the two countries were working on a JCC.

“Yes we are working on a Joint Commission of Cooperation to expand trade and investment between us.

“There are many opportunities in South Sudan that Zimbabwean investors can exploit,” she said.

ZimTrade chief executive officer Ms Priscilla Pilime urged local business people to                       take advantage of investment opportunities in Juba.

“We missed opportunities in countries such as Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola so we cannot miss out again in South Sudan.

“We actually helped some of these countries to attain peace but we failed to invest there,” she said.

“Let us go there as individual companies, but let us work together and exploit opportunities in South Sudan.”

With a population of 8 260 490 (according to a 2008 census), about 83 percent of which lives in rural areas, South Sudan is located in North-Eastern Africa.

It has investment opportunities in tourism, agriculture, mining, wildlife, forestry and manufacturing. — New Ziana.