Deputy Minister Gina Urges SA Companies to be Exemplary Corporate Citizens across Africa |
| The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Nomalungelo Gina has urged the South African companies operating in the rest of Africa to promote responsible business conduct. Gina was speaking at the South Africa-Mozambique Business Seminar that was hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in Maputo, Mozambique today.
The seminar was part of the second leg of the week-long Outward Trade and investment Mission to Mozambique that started in Pemba on Monday and will conclude in Maputo tomorrow. About 50 South African companies are participating in the mission. The objective of the mission is to increase bilateral trade and investment between South Africa and Mozambique by exposing South African companies to opportunities that are available in Mozambique for them to explore. “As part of our efforts to facilitate intra-Africa trade and investment we brought about 50 companies for this mission to enable them to exchange ideas and information with their Mozambican counterparts on opportunities for partnerships and joint ventures that will contribute in growing both economies. But to ensure exemplary conduct by SA companies whenever they operating outside the borders of our country, including Mozambique, the dti has developed the Guidelines for Good Business Practice by the South African Companies operating in the rest of the Continent,” said Gina. She added that the guidelines provide a set of voluntary principles and standards that aim to promote responsible business conduct, thus assisting in positioning South Africa as real partners in the development of economies in various parts of the continent. In addition, the principles provide a framework for the SA companies, as active members of the continental business community, to promote sustainable economic development in accordance with socio-economic developmental imperatives of the host countries. “To date more than 60 South African companies have signed a pledge to uphold the guidelines, which were well received at the African Union trade week in Ethiopia in 2016. We continue to encourage our companies and state-owned entities to seriously consider integrating the guidelines in their value propositions and to actively promote the guidelines in view of added benefits that can be derived for SA in facilitating intra-Africa trade and investment by promoting good corporate citizenship and responsible business conduct,” added Gina. Deputy Minister Gina also held a bilateral meeting with the Mozambican Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mr Ragendra Berta de Sousa. The two discussed a variety of issues pertaining to promoting trade and investment between South Africa and Mozambique as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in Cape Town in February this year. The MoU provides a framework under which developmental projects covering a broad spectrum of sectors can be pursued in various sectors including agriculture and agro-processing; special economic zones and industrial parks; mining, processing and value-addition of natural resources; transport and communications infrastructure; pharmaceuticals; tourism; clothing and textiles; creative industries; and manufacturing.
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