The Tunisian-South African Business Forum, held on Monday, October 2, at the headquarters of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), brought together many Tunisian South African businessmen.
The economic event was chaired by Mandla Harold Hoyana, Ambassador of South Africa to Tunisia, Khalil Laabidi, Director General of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), who represented the Tunisian government at this Forum, and Taoufik Mlayeh, UTICA representative in charge of relations with African countries.
The South African delegation, headed by Seema Sardha, a representative of the South African Ministry of Industry, was composed of representatives from several industrial sectors such as infrastructure and construction, engineering, electro-mechanics, energy, agro-industry, pharmaceutical industry…
Speaking on the occasion, the Ambassador of South Africa emphasized the importance of this kind of events to strengthen the ties between the two countries and create opportunities for cooperation between the Tunisian and South African private sectors.
The objective of the forum is to foster partnerships, promote bilateral trade, encourage investment and explore ways to reduce business risks.
These bilateral exchanges, the ambassador added, are suffering from the lack of legal framework, adding that an agreement to frame the exchanges between the two countries will soon be finalized and that already a draft agreement between the port of Zarzis and its free zone with a South African port is under consideration.
Khalil Laabidi, Executive Director of FIPA outlined to the participants the legal framework for investing in Tunisia, focusing on newly adopted laws such as the Investment Law and the PPP Law, adding that Tunisia could become a hub for the continent.
