Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania, met Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, on Thursday in Pretoria to talk about the two nations’ potential for trade and security collaboration.
With the passing of her predecessor John Magufuli in 2021, Hassan made her first formal journey to the country of southern Africa.
“We have agreed to enhance our cooperation in the areas of trade and investment considering that South Africa is among the main sources of direct foreign investment in Tanzania,” said Hassan. She added that tourism and manufacturing are the leading sectors for investment.
Ramaphosa stated that although trade volumes between Tanzania and South Africa were still rising, they might be enhanced much more.
“A key aspect of our bilateral cooperation is the promotion of trade and investment between our two countries,” said Ramaphosa. “President Hassan and I will be joining the South Africa-Tanzania Business Forum later today, which brings together business people from our respective countries, he added.
Among the industries discussed during the business forum, according to Ramaphosa, are mining, oil and gas, agroprocessing, and infrastructure development.
The leaders discussed the concerns with food security on the continent, particularly the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on African countries and the disruption of the delivery of agricultural items like fertilisers.
As part of the U.S.’s outreach to African nations, Hassan will host U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris when she travels to the continent at the end of March.