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Gauteng Premier David Makhura is leading the Gauteng delegation comprising senior officials and business people to the 2016 Namibia International Investment Conference.

The two day conference will take place in Windhoek from 8-9 November under the theme "Promoting Investment for Inclusive Growth and Industrialisation," with the aim of meeting the country's development goals through investment.

The conference will focus on housing, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, tourism, logistics and energy.

Premier Makhura will visit industrial parks, uranium mines and water reclamation plants tomorrow (Monday) morning as the conference’s official programme gets underway.

The Premier is in Namibia at the Invitation of Namibian president, Hage Geingob. President Geinbob met with Premier Makhura in October while he was in South Africa at the Invest in Namibia International Conference held at Emperor’s palace.

"The binational agreements between our national governments create huge opportunities for business to business partnerships as well as collaboration between sister cities and regional governments," said Makhura.

He further added that the Gauteng Provincial Government was ready to play its collaborative role under the guidance of the national cabinet.

"Gauteng is open for business. Our businesses and firms have capabilities and the resources to contribute to the industrialisation of Namibia, SADC and the continent," he said.

South Africa has always been Namibia's top trading partner for both imports and exports. The two countries have 71 signed agreements and memoranda of understanding.

In 2015 some of the top products Gauteng exported to Namibia included vehicles, electrical machinery and equipment, iron and steel, mineral fuels, pharmaceutical products and furniture amongst others.

While last year the provincial government adopted an overarching Gauteng City Region International Relations Strategy. The strategy was motivated by the need to have a more coordinated and focused approach to international relations across the city region which would promote both the social and economic objectives of the ten pillar programme of Transformation, Modernisation and Reindustrialisation.

The strategy has a particular focus on Africa and aims to execute the provincial government's developmental mandate, while enhancing the province's global competitiveness, in particular as a preferred gateway to the rest of the African continent.

With its strong focus on SADC region and Africa, Makhura believes that the strategy will increase trade inflows over the next few years.

In addition, Gauteng is working with the Capital Equipment Export Council to strengthen Intra-Africa trade.

Issued by Gauteng Provincial Government