Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khatib, held a high-level meeting with South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, in Pretoria to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation between the two nations, with particular emphasis on the automotive sector. The discussions come as a follow-up to Tau’s official visit to Cairo earlier in November, from the 8th to the 10th.
During the meeting, El-Khatib highlighted the importance of exploring industrial collaboration in the automotive field between Egypt and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). He emphasized that the Egyptian side would carefully study South Africa’s proposals and develop a strategic roadmap that aligns with the capabilities and priorities of local Egyptian manufacturers.
The two ministers also considered the establishment of reciprocal logistics zones aimed at facilitating trade and industrial exchange between the two countries. Officials from both nations were tasked with identifying potential sites for these economic zones and the corresponding port infrastructure. Complementing this effort, the ministers discussed plans to set up regular shipping lines linking Egypt and South Africa, with follow-up talks scheduled once the logistics zones have been finalized.
Further discussions focused on identifying strategic goods for enhanced bilateral trade. Both sides agreed that economic and trade specialists would compile a comprehensive list of high-priority commodities to strengthen commercial ties.
In addition, the formation of a joint Egyptian-South African business council was proposed. Preliminary member lists have already been exchanged, with plans for the council to be formally announced at the next session of the Egyptian-South African Joint Committee. The fifth session of this committee is slated for the first quarter of 2026, where both nations aim to advance industrial and trade collaboration across multiple sectors, including automotive, logistics, and strategic goods exchange.
These initiatives signal a strong commitment by Egypt and South Africa to not only enhance bilateral trade but also to develop integrated industrial and logistics frameworks that could serve as a model for broader African economic cooperation.
