SA, Egypt launch council to steer trade ties: dtic

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) has formally launched the Joint South Africa - Egypt Business Council (JBC), a new institutional mechanism for managing the commercial relationship between the two governments. The launch took place on the margins of the Alamein Africa Business Forum and was announced by the department in a statement, which positioned the council as the vehicle through which bilateral trade and investment policy will be translated into practical commercial partnerships.

The department framed the move in strategic terms. Egypt, it said, is South Africa’s strategic partner and largest export market in North Africa. According to the dtic, Egypt holds by far the largest population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, at over 102 million people, a gross domestic product of $362 billion, and ranks among Africa’s most diversified, large and dynamic economies. The department said there are solid opportunities for South African companies in the medium-to-long term, along with a platform for commercial activity in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.

Oversight of the new council rests with the two governments and the office of the dtic Minister. Parks Tau, the minister responsible for trade, industry and competition, participated in the Africa Automotive Investment Forum, held on the margins of the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Automotive Industry Potential under the AfCFTA.” That forum was hosted by Dr Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, in collaboration with Afreximbank and the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM). Participants at the forum observed the signing and launch of the Joint Business Council, placing the new body within a broader framework of ministerial and multilateral engagement.

The mandate assigned to the JBC is set out in a series of key initiatives announced by the department. These include the launch of a Mining and Minerals Partnership and an Automotive and New-Energy Mobility Partnership; an Agriculture and Agro-processing Corridor and an Engineering and Infrastructure Partnership; and a Renewable Energy and Green Industrial Platform. A further initiative, the Africa Joint-Venture Investment Fund, is described as a private-sector investment vehicle targeting companies and projects capable of expanding beyond the two domestic markets.

The department’s statement also set out the trade data underpinning the decision to deepen institutional ties. According to data received from Statistics South Africa, direct bilateral trade increased by 26%, from R3.4 billion in 2024 to R4.3 billion in 2025. South Africa’s exports to Egypt grew by 21%, from R1.3 billion in 2024 to R1.6 billion in 2025. Based on direct data, South Africa recorded a trade deficit with Egypt from 2021 to 2025. The department described these as positive results, noting that South Africa ranked as Egypt’s 46th export destination and 58th source of imports from the rest of the world in 2025.

In explaining the intended outcome, the department said it would deepen bilateral trade and investment by creating practical commercial partnerships between South African and Egyptian companies, while using both countries as gateways into Southern, North and wider African markets. The framing places the council not merely as a bilateral arrangement but as part of a continental strategy in which two governments act as entry points to their respective regions.

For South Africa, the Automotive Investment Forum served as an opportunity to position the country as a key manufacturing and investment anchor within an emerging continental automotive value chain. The department said the forum also aimed to strengthen linkages between South African automotive producers, African markets, component manufacturers, logistics networks and sources of capital. The gathering brought together policymakers, governments, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), component manufacturers, suppliers, investors, financiers, logistics providers and development partners to identify bankable investment opportunities, strengthen regional automotive production capabilities and advance the development of integrated continental supply chains.

Further details of the launch and the department’s statement are available from the South African Government News Agency at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sa-launches-joint-business-council-egypt. The establishment of the council now places responsibility for steering the bilateral commercial agenda with the two trade ministries and the private-sector structures created under it, with the stated aim of converting ministerial commitments into measurable trade and investment outcomes. Whether those commitments translate into results will depend on how the new partnerships and fund are put to work in the months ahead.