Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies has launched South Africa's two-month trade and investment promotion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 in China.

The Department of Trade and Industry would be leading trade- and investment- focused activities over the next two months, with an intitial focus on mineral beneficiation, metals and capital equipment.

Davies emphasised that the beneficiation of mineral products was at the top of the South African government's agenda. "We are well known to other countries as producers of mineral products, but government has identified a need for the country to beneficiate or add value to its products before it is exported to other parts of world.

"China has a need for mineral products coming from the African continent, which creates a number of synergies and possibilities of productive relationships between the two countries to achieve mutual aims of providing mineral products to the Chinese economy, but in forms that are more beneficiated than simply raw material production."

Davies added that the South African government was encouraged by statements made by the Chinese government that China was prepared to invest in the beneficiation of mineral products.

"We believe that there are many opportunities for Chinese companies to invest in our country in areas of capital equipment and infrastructure development, which will continue long after the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Davies.

The Ministerial-led South African trade pavillion included around 30 different South African executives and companies from the country's mining, metals and capital equipment sectors, the first of the four sectors to be profiled during the promotion.

The delegation, that included Limpopo Economic Development and Tourism MEC Pitsi Moloto, would promote investment opportunities in South Africa, identify opportunities in China, and enhance existing trading activities.

That would be followed by a focus on energy, engineering and information and communication technology, and in August, the focus would shift to defence and security, as well as agroprocessing industries and agroprocessing technologies.

The Federation of Shanghai Commerce and Industry vice-chairperson Jin Liang said that companies affiliated to his federation were committed to working with their South African counterparts for the mutual economic prosperity of the two countries.

"Instead of focusing on traditional sectors such as textilez, China's investment in South Africa is now expanding to new industries, such as energy, minerals, mechanics and construction. The two countries should still work together in sectors such as natural resources, capital, human resources and technology, since both countries have different advantages," concluded Liang.

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 has seen more than one-million visitors since it started in May.