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President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to create stronger economic and social ties between South Africa and Nigeria following a spate of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa in September.
Ramaphosa on Thursday hosted Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on a state visit to boost ties between Africa’s two largest economies.
He announced that both presidents had agreed to take steps to boost bilateral trade volumes and increase small to medium sized Nigerian businesses in South Africa.
“Nigeria accounts for 64% of South Africa’s total trade with the West African region and is one of our largest trading partners on the continent itself.
“We noted with appreciation the increasing presence of South African companies in Nigeria, and agreed on the need to promote greater investment by Nigerian companies in South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
“Our governments have committed themselves to creating an enabling environment for both countries [to do] business in both countries.”
Incentives would be provided for Nigerian companies to operate in South Africa to make doing business here easier.
Both presidents again condemned attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, saying they would aim to create mechanisms to prevent violence again breaking out.
“Early warning mechanisms will be set up so that, once we see that there is restiveness in both our people’s side, we will be able to inform one another and find active ways to ensure that we do not have a reoccurrence.
“At the same time, we will cooperate at a number of levels, including at a policing level [and] at an intelligence sharing… level,” Ramaphosa said.
Buhari added that while there may be differences of opinion on competitiveness, people should follow the laws of the country they were living in. “If you do anything outside the people’s understanding and agreement, eventually they will not accept it,” Buhari said.
Meanwhile, South Africa and Nigeria signed 30 trade and cooperation agreements on Thursday, weeks after a wave of violence against Nigerian nationals in Johannesburg and Pretoria had strained relations between Africa’s top two economies.
In September, mobs armed with makeshift weapons attacked businesses and homes owned by foreigners, leading to at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and up to 400 arrests.
Presidents Ramaphosa and Buhari, at the conclusion of a two-day visit by the Nigerian leader, said they regretted the violence and subsequent retaliation in Nigeria against South African businesses, pledging instead to deepen trade ties.
The local units of South African telecoms company MTN and supermarket chain Shoprite closed all stores and service centres in Nigeria after their premises were attacked by Nigerians protesting against attacks on their compatriots in South Africa.
“As the government of South Africa, we have expressed our deep regret at the attacks directed at foreign nationals and our condemnation of all forms of intolerance and acts of violence,” Ramaphosa told journalists.
Ramaphosa said the two countries had sealed 32 bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding covering trade and industry, science and technology, defence, agriculture and energy.
Nigeria accounts for 64 percent of South Africa’s total trade with the West African Region and is one of its largest trading partners on the continent.
Buhari said beyond the economic partnership the anti-foreigner violence had to be addressed quickly.
“We decided to take concrete measures to prevent the recurrence of such unacceptable incidents in the future,” Buhari said. — AFP
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