Vietnamese and South African businesses have explored cooperationopportunities in trade and tourism during a conference held in Huecity, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on November 27.
The event was co-orgnaised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (VCCI) and the South African Embassy in Vietnam .
South African Ambassador to Vietnam Kgomotso Ruth Magau said thatSouth Africa , which boasts rich natural resources and moderninfrastructure, is considered a gateway to Africa . It is emerging as anew attractive investment destination with friendly businessenvironment, numerous preferential policies and accessible market.
The conference offers a good chance for enterprises of both sides,especially those in Thua Thien Hue, to share information and seekpartnerships, thus strengthening the relationship between the twonations, she added.
Truong Thi Kim Anh, DeputyDirector of the VCCI in Da Nang , said that since the two countries setup their diplomatic ties, South Africa has always been one of thepromising trade and tourism partners of Vietnam .
Vietnam can provides agricultural products, handicrafts, garments,construction materials and seafood to South Africa while buying metals,wood and cotton from this market, she said.
However, he notedthat the current two-way trade of about 1 billion USD is yet to matchthe two countries’ strengths and potential.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee DinhKhac Dinh highlighted the prospect for collaboration between SouthAfrica and Thua Thien-Hue, a cultural hub of Vietnam with the twoUNESCO-recognised cultural heritages of Hue ancient capital and Hueroyal court music.
He said he hopes that throughthe conference, local tourism firms, associations and businesses willget more information about South Africa and its potential in order tofurther boost cooperation in the field.-VNA
