Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE SOUTH AFRICA/ZIMBABWE TOURISM AND CULTURAL PROMOTION FROM 20 TO 31 OCTOBER 1998
The South African High Commission in Harare will participate in a South Africa/Zimbabwe Tourism and Cultural Promotion in Zimbabwe from 20 to 31 October 1998. The Promotion follows the highly successful South Africa/Zimbabwe Business and Cultural Promotion held in October 1997. The Promotion will include several events, namely a wine and food promotion at the five-star Meikles Hotel in Harare, a South African film evening, a tourism exhibition, a South African Race Day, and a corporate luncheon. At the Race Day, Zimbabwean models will model the clothes which were first displayed at the "Face of Africa" competition in Zambia.
Satour will arrange tourism workshops in Bulawayo and Harare. Several major South African companies in the tourism and hospitality industries will participate in the workshops, such as Southern Sun, Sun International, Karos Hotels, and Don Apartments. The main aim of the promotion is to strengthen South Africa's tourism and cultural relations with Zimbabwe. South Africa attaches great importance to her relationship with Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is South Africa's number one trading partner in Africa and number ten in the world. During 1997, bilateral trade amounted to approximately R7.06 billion (R6.5 billion in 1996). Undeclared and informal trade between the two countries is also substantial. South Africa and Zimbabwe are bound together by longstanding commercial, historical, social and cultural ties. There is a great deal of positive interaction between the two countries at all levels and in all fields. Zimbabwe is an important role player in international and regional fora, such as the SADC, the OAU, the UNO and the NAM.
The High Commission is confident that the Promotion will succeed to the same extent as the one held last year, in further enhancing political, economic, tourism and cultural relations between the two countries.
For further information, please feel free to contact the South African High Commission at telephone number 09-2634-753 147/8/9.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION IN HARARE PRETORIA 23 OCTOBER 1998