#south_africa

Hello. >> Good morning. >> [music] >> Yes. >> Mr. President. >> Hello. >> How may I help you? Mr. President. >> You might not know. >> [laughter] >> It's nice to meet you. Mr. President, I'm Satu, the World Bank's country director. >> Oh, yes. I've heard. I've [music] heard. >> And I'm the World Bank's country director for South Africa. I'm the senior country director for South Africa. >> How is the meeting going? >> [music] >> Mr. President, we gave us the floor and the vice president for IFC, …

Among the outcomes that we seek is a substantial growth in the volume and the value of the trade between our two countries. That's what we want. But we also want to see real investments being put on the ground. Now, we know that since 2022, total trade between South Africa and Kenya has grown by an average of 3.5% a year. We should be at a higher percentage. Kenya remains in our case South Africa's largest trading partner on the continent outside the South African Development Community. But we w…

To make sure that we live up to the powerhouses of the two economies. Kenya is a powerhouse in East Africa. South Africa is a powerhouse in Southern Africa. And together we become a greater powerhouse on our continent. Taking advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, President Ruto has correctly said this Africa Continental Free Trade Area gives us all on the African continent an historic and unprecedented opportunity to make sure that we trade with each other. To make sure that we cr…

We've been working on a number of reforms. Reforms that have had to do with our electricity generation. And we've moved our country away from load shedding. The load the electricity generation has improved in increasingly over time. And we haven't let had blackouts for almost more than a year. And those are the efforts that government has been taking to make sure that we create a conducive environment for businesses to operate. And similarly, we've been looking at how we improve our logistics. H…

My dear brother President Ruto, earlier this year in March we held the South Africa Investment Conference and we've been having these for a number of years now. And we always put a target for the 5-year term of our government to say by this 5-year term we want to have raised so much money. In the last term we had put a target of 1.3 trillion rand, 1.5 trillion rand rather. And we invite businesses to come forward to respond to the quest that we should create a conducive environment for investmen…

It is a pleasure to address this Africa Kenya Business Forum and to welcome the Kenyan delegation to South Africa as well. Your presence here also shows the value that you place on the partnership that has been crafted between South Africa and Kenya. And this is an old partnership. It's also a very strategic partnership. A strategic partnership that has its roots in the past when South Africa or South Africans were fighting for their freedom. It was Kenya amongst many other nations that raised i…

Africa requires equitable access to climate finance and technology to support a just energy transition. At the same time, we must undertake a digital transformation that advances inclusion and innovation. South Africa and Kenya can lead in areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, and cybersecurity. As we look ahead, our cooperation must place people at the center, creating opportunities for youth empowerment, women empowerment, and promoting inclusive growth for all. Allow me once again t…

We meet at a time of global uncertainty. My dear brother, we are all affected by the conflicts on our continent, in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and other parts of the world. The conflict that continues in the Sudan is a very troubling one, and we must recognize your efforts as part of IGAD to continue to find ways of resolving this uh this disaster. African countries are feeling the impact of rising fuel prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. Our position is clear. Dialogue and …

I'm especially pleased by the proposal to establish a South Africa-Kenya Joint Business Council, which would give our private sector a stronger voice in shaping trade and investment. Our people-to-people ties are flourishing. The decision that we took together in 2022, where you insisted, Mr. President, that you would not allow me to leave Kenya without us reaching agreement on the visa-free access issue, was one of our best decisions because it immediately led to instant implementation. So, muc…

This reciprocal state visit is a celebration of the friendship as well as the solidarity that binds our two nations. Ours is a relationship that is rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for democracy, for peace on our continent, and for prosperity for all our sister countries on the African continent. This visit builds on my state visit to Kenya in November in 2022 where you so warmly welcomed me and my delegation. But it also builds on the many engagements that we have ha…