International Trade Minister visits South Africa and Kenya to promote trade and prosperity

International Trade Minister, Greg Hands, has been travelling to South Africa and Kenya this week where he is meeting with business and political leaders to strengthen the UK’s trade with Africa, and making the case for free trade as the best way to build mutual prosperity.

On a visit to Johannesburg on Tuesday (10 April), Minister Hands attended the opening of a new ‘One Stop Shop’, a South African government-led initiative to help those establishing businesses in the country. The project will reduce red tape and offer seamless access to business support across relevant government departments.

The Minister also met with his South African counterpart, Minister for Trade and Industry Rob Davies, to discuss the encouraging progress in ensuring continuity of trading arrangements by transitioning the regional EU-South African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Travelling on to Nairobi today, Greg Hands will meet with senior Ministers from a range of Kenyan Government departments to learn more about how the UK can support Kenya’s ‘Big Four’ objectives - manufacturing, housing, healthcare and food security. The Minister will inaugurate the UK-Kenya Economic Development Forum which will facilitate discussion between the UK and Kenyan governments on increasing business in these areas.

South Africa is one of the largest economies in Africa, and has bilateral trade with the UK worth £8.8bn in 2016 – a 9.2% increase on the previous year. The UK remains South Africa’s biggest long-term foreign investor and will continue to work with South Africa to generate employment, sustainability and prosperity in support of the National Development Plan.

Trade between the UK and Kenya was worth £1.1bn in 2016, a 4.5% increase on 2015. British companies employ more than 200,000 people across the country in a wide range of sectors. The UK is deeply committed to working in partnership with Kenya to promote jobs, growth, development and security.

International Trade Minister, Greg Hands, said:

“I welcome the opportunity to meet with my counterparts in South Africa and Kenya to advance our trading relationship between the UK and Africa, particularly as we address the common values and shared challenges of the Commonwealth ahead of next week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London.

“Over the last few decades, whole countries have been transformed thanks to global trade, bringing jobs and prosperity to millions. I look forward to building on this success and promoting free and fair trade with our allies in South Africa and Kenya.”

CHOGM 2018 will take place from 16-20 April and will bring together a diverse community of 53 nations that work together to promote prosperity, democracy and peace.