24 February 2002
Trade and Investment Minister, Alec Erwin will co-chair the Second Session of the South African - Tunisian Business Forum with the Tunisian Minister of Trade, Tahar Sioud, in Johannesburg on Monday, 25th and Tuesday, 26th February 2002 at the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park. The delegation will then depart for Cape Town on 27 February 2002, where the second half of the Business Forum will be hosted by the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, 28 February.
The first South African - Tunisian Business Forum was held in Tunis during April 2001, as part of the 3rd Session of the Joint Bilateral Commission between South Africa and Tunisia. The Business Forum was created with a view to increasing the volume of trade between the two countries and establishing mutually beneficial business relations.
The Tunisian delegation is represented by some of the largest and most prominent companies in Tunisia - Aquatec Tunisia, Batam, Cotip, Hamrouni Group, ICF, International Trade SCIT, Jancel, Khalfallah Establishments, Loukil Group, Mad, Maklada, MBG Profilage, Moncef Barcous Establishments, Pouline, Sfax Huile and Sotacib.
Since official relations between the countries were established, there has been a marked increase in trade from R8 million in 1993 to more than R71 million in 2001. However, the potential exists for these volumes and interactions between countries to be increased further.
Minister Sioud is expected to meet with Deputy President Jacob Zuma, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel during his visit to South Africa. This will be the first time that Minister Sioud will be visiting South Africa.
It is expected that various projects will be identified during the interactions between the two delegations.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs