UAE and South Africa Strengthen Trade and Investment Ties to Boost Economic Cooperation
Dubai, The Gulf Observer: Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, held a meeting in Dubai with Mpho Parks Tau, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, to explore new avenues for enhancing trade, investment, and private-sector collaboration between the two countries.
The discussions underscored the UAE’s commitment to deepening its economic relations with South Africa and the broader African continent, reflecting Africa’s growing significance in global trade and investment dynamics.
The meeting followed a high-level roundtable held earlier between UAE and South African officials and business leaders, attended by Fahad Al Gergawi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, alongside a South African delegation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening private-sector engagement and expanding mutually beneficial economic partnerships.
Trade Growth and Economic Achievements
During the talks, Minister Al Zeyoudi highlighted the remarkable growth in non-oil trade between the UAE and South Africa, which reached US$8.5 billion in 2024—a 14 percent increase from 2023 and 120 percent higher than in 2019. This positive trajectory continued in the first half of 2025, with non-oil trade totaling US$3.93 billion.
These figures position South Africa as the UAE’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, accounting for 7.6 percent of the UAE’s total non-oil trade with the continent, and the 22nd largest globally.
Expanding Sectors of Cooperation
Speaking about the enduring partnership, Al Zeyoudi emphasized the depth of bilateral economic ties:
“South Africa is a vital partner for the UAE in Africa. My conversations today with Minister Tau underscore the close bonds we share in trade and investment, including important recent projects in logistics, renewable energy, and real estate. We discussed new opportunities in agriculture, food production, infrastructure, and manufacturing and reaffirmed our belief that, by working together, we can build on our positive momentum and support each other’s economic and development ambitions.”
Broader UAE–Africa Economic Engagement
The UAE continues to expand its strategic economic partnerships across Africa, focusing on sustainable growth and shared development. With the recent signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Angola, the UAE has now concluded five CEPAs with sub-Saharan African nations, including Mauritius, Kenya, Congo-Brazzaville, and the Central African Republic.
These agreements are part of the UAE’s broader vision to strengthen trade connectivity, diversify markets, and support the development of Africa’s emerging economies through investment, innovation, and long-term cooperation.
