Johannesburg: South African economic cluster ministers who visited the UK have sold the idea of opening up a free trade zone that will run "from Cape to Cairo" in which South Africa would be the leapfrog spot for trade and investment on the continent.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies sang in unison during their visit with President Jacob Zuma last week and echoed, at a media briefing at Parliament yesterday, their support for UK investment in South African infrastructure programmes as well as in niche sectors, including the financial services, information technology and medical industries.
Davies said he envisaged a large free trade zone running from "Cape to Cairo", while Gordhan said foreign investors would, in future, find it easier to move capital to other African states from South Africa.
The free trade zone would include the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the East African Community.
