South Africa and Kenya have committed to resolving outstanding bilateral issues between the countries in preparation for the upcoming 6th Session of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) which will be held in Mombasa, Kenya in September 2018
This commitment was agreed between South Africa’s director-general of trade and industry, Lionel October, and the Kenyan principal secretary for the State Department of Trade in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Dr Chris Kiptoo, during a bilateral meeting that was held on the margins of the two-day Japan-Africa Public-Private Economic Forum on 6 May 2018.
Lionel October undertook to host the first ever Kenya-South African Trade Week in South Africa in October 2018 and to also share a list of the top 40 investment projects in South Africa that Kenyan businesses can invest in.
“The latter is in reciprocation to the Kenyan State Department of Trade as having already shared with us a list of bankable investment projects in Kenya last year. Trade Invest Africa (TIA) will also facilitate engagements between Kenya and the Invest South Africa (InvestSA) division on identified investment projects in South Africa,” said October.
The meeting agreed on the following action plan on trade and investment activities between the countries:
· South Africa to lead an outward trade and investment mission to Kenya by the end of May 2018
· South Africa to undertake a project-specific mission to Kenya focussing on the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor projects (LAPSSET)
· There was an agreement that the 6th Session of the Joint Trade Committee that will be held on 27-29 August 2018 in Mombasa, Kenya be elevated to ministerial level at the appropriate time.
