French Minister of Foreign Trade Anne-Marie Idrac will be visiting South Africa this week to strengthen economic ties and relations between the two countries.

The focus areas of her visit would include demonstrating France's commitment to its strategic partnership with South Africa, sharing French experience and expertise in energy and nuclear power, and meetings with prominent French investors in South Africa.

Idrac plans to attend the launching ceremony of the new manufacturing facilities at the Sanofi-Aventis pharmaceutical plant in Mamelodi in Pretoria.

She would also pay a visit to the Nissan-Renault car plant in Rosslyn, which is going through a significant upgrade for the manufacture of the new Renault Sandero model.

Thereafter, she would jointly chair the signature of the cooperation agreement between the French innovation agency Osea and South Africa's Technology Innovation Agency, with South Africa's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom.

Idrac would also visit a housing programme financed by the Agence Française de Développement in Olivenhoutbosch in Pretoria.

On Thursday, Minister Idrac plans to visit Cape Town and meet with South African Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan to discuss the strengthening of the relationship and cooperation between South African State-owned enterprises and French business.

She would also be visiting South Africa's State-owned utility Eskom's nuclear power plant in Koeberg.

Minister Idrac would be accompanied by officials of the French Treasury and by high-level executives of State-owned enterprises.