Andrew Stegmann

New EU deal will boost local jobs, parly hears

Cape Town – The recently signed partnership between the European Union (EU) and seven of the Southern Africa Development Community member states will go a long way to create new job opportunities, said the ANC’s Joanmariae Fubbs in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Fubbs, who is chairperson of the portfolio committee on trade and industry, was introducing the new economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the EU and the SADC countries for ratification by parliament.

The new EPA replaced the former Trade Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) with the EU, which had less favourable terms than the new agreement.

“It’s great news,” Fubbs said, “as it’s  replacing the chapter on trade in the TDCA. The new agreement will enable South Africa to increase exports of value-added products to the EU, which is South Africa’s largest trading partner.”

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Andrew Stegmann

China deal to create over 2 000 jobs in SA

Johannesburg – An auto plant by a Chinese state-owned car manufacturer will create more than 2 500 jobs in South Africa.

The Beijing Automotive International agreed to build an R11bn ($759m) auto plant in South Africa, the biggest investment in a vehicle-production facility in the country in four decades.

The Beijing Automotive International plans to start production at the facility in 2018, chief executive officer Dong Haiyang told reporters in the southern coast city of Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

The plant will be built in partnership with South Africa’s state-owned Industrial Development Corp. and have a capacity of 100 000 units a year by 2027, he said at the the industrial development zone where the factory will be located.

“South Africa’s automotive industry has received a major shot in the arm with the announcement of the biggest greenfield investment in 40 years,” the companies said in a joint statement.

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Andrew Stegmann

Eating Around Africa: 15 Foodie Destinations To Explore

Eating around Africa Johannesburg is a mix of everything — African, Dutch, English, Malay and other influences all mixed up in a pot. Potjiekos (pot food) is a culturally important South African dish cooked in a cast-iron pot. For the truly adventurous, try a smiley (cooked sheep’s head) or walkie-talkie (chicken feet stew). Africa’s culinary offerings are as diverse as its people and countries. With hundreds of different food styles — U.K., Oman, Portugal, India, and even China, to name a few — Africa should be on every foodie’s list.

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Andrew Stegmann

Convention on tourism for BRICS countries

The Ministry of Tourism in India will hold a BRICS Convention on Tourism from September 1-2 in Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh as a precursor to the BRICS Summit to be held in Goa on October 15-16.

The convention will comprise inter-governmental exchange of views, panel discussions on technology, innovation in tourism, and co-operation between the BRICS countries for promoting intra-regional tourism.

Arrivals to South Africa from China, India and Brazil account for 11% of the overseas arrivals for the first six months of the year. Statistics for Russia have not been isolated.

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