Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
14 May 2001
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and his delegation comprising MECs and senior government officials returned home on Sunday 13 May 2001, from a very successful mission to East Asia.
The delegation visited Singapore and Malaysia to seek closer co-operation on matters of common interest with the governments of the two countries and to woo business investment in Gauteng, particularly in the ten spatial development initiative projects currently being implemented through Blue IQ.
The delegation held highly successful discussions with politicians, business associations, trade institutions and representatives of state owned enterprises.
In Singapore, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. John Chen assured Shilowa and his delegation of his and his government's active support in encouraging Singaporean companies to invest in South Africa, particularly in the Gauteng Government's SDI projects.
Singaporean business representatives, who were clearly excited by the investment opportunities within the Blue IQ projects, announced at the end of the discussions that they would be sending delegations to South Africa to look at which of the projects they would be investing their money in.
The Singapore Trade Development Board announced that it would be sending a delegation to Gauteng on 21 May 2001.
Temasek, the state owned investment holding company, announced that it would soon be sending its representatives to visit the Innovation Hub in Pretoria.
The company is interested in investing in the Innovation Hub project as well as co-operating with the Gauteng Government on other Information and Communication Technology initiatives. One of the initiatives that would immediately benefit from the co-operation is the gautengonline.com project. Singapore has already made major advances in the area of e-learning with one in two teachers having a lap top computer and one in every five learners having access to a PC that is linked to the internet.
The other area that interested the Singaporean is rapid mass transportation.
The state owned Mass Rapid Transport company has already registered an interest in participating in the Gauteng high speed train project.
The Malaysians were also enthusiastic about to co-operating with Gauteng on matters of common interest.
During a visit to the State of Selangor, the most developed and industrialised state within Malaysia, Deputy Chief Minister Dato Zainal Abidin told Shilowa of his government's intention to establish closer ties with Gauteng. He announced that the government of Selangor would pay a visit to Gauteng where a co-operation agreement would be signed.
The delegation also visited the Technology Park Malaysia, a "centre of excellence for the development and promotion of knowledge-based industries".
TPM agreed to share ideas with Gauteng's Innovation Hub and offered assistance in its further development.
The provision of medium and low cost housing was one of the areas identified in which Gauteng could benefit from Malaysia's experience. The Malaysians have managed to build affordable but good quality housing to cater for the needs of medium and low-income groups.
Several Malaysian companies involved in the construction of medium and low cost housing have expressed interest in working with Gauteng to provide affordable good quality housing. Housing MEC Paul Mashatile, who was also on the trip, will announce the names of the companies that will be working with the provincial government in this regard.
For more information contact Thabo Masebe at 082 410 8087
Issued by Office of the Premier
Gauteng provincial Government