Remarks by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile throughout the Opening Ceremony of the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), Shunyi Centre, Beijing, China, 16 July 2025

Programme Director,
His Excellency, Vice Premier, He Lifeng,
Mr Ren Hongbin, Chairman, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT),
Mr Parks Tau, Honourable Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of the Republic of South Africa,
Mr Ekachat Seetavorarat, Deputy Permanent Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Representatives of International Organisation,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
CEOs and Business Executives,
Ladies and gents,

It is my honour to deal with you right now on the opening ceremony of the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), a prestigious occasion that showcases the newest developments in provide chain administration.

This high-level expo is essential for each our nations as a result of it promotes commerce, funding, cooperation, innovation, and studying inside the world provide chain ecosystem.

South Africa is dedicated to strengthening world provide chains and fostering resilience within the face of challenges. In right now’s quickly altering world, the worldwide provide chain panorama is dealing with unprecedented challenges, from pure disasters to political upheavals.

Despite ongoing challenges, South Africa’s provide chain sector is experiencing development, pushed by elevated e-commerce exercise and technological developments.

Our enterprise communities have been resilient and adapting by methods like diversifying suppliers, holding extra stock, and investing in digital transformation.

As authorities, we’ve additionally adopted insurance policies and methods which are conducive for enterprise to attempt. We perceive the significance of constructing strong provide chains that may face up to disruptions and make sure the environment friendly stream of products and providers.

Our various economic system and strategic location make us a pure gateway for commerce and funding, connecting Africa to the remainder of the world.

As we collect right here in China, a key companion in our financial journey, I see nice alternatives for collaboration and mutual development. Together, we are able to leverage our strengths and capabilities to additional construct provide chains that aren’t solely environment friendly and cost-effective but additionally sustainable and resilient.

The incontrovertible fact that China and South Africa have a powerful need to diversify and broaden commerce between Africa and China is essential to our efforts to create a stable provide chain.

South Africa’s export portfolio to China includes primarily fundamental commodities. While the commerce volumes verify South Africa’s pure endowment, the heavy slant in direction of mineral-based exports belies our superior infrastructure, our diversified industrial base, and our main service sectors.

Our inaugural participation on the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) gives the chance to showcase this variety. Once once more, let me reiterate our gratitude for the facilitation and the courtesies prolonged to the South African official and enterprise delegation.

We are accompanied by 30 producers and producers of uniquely South African services. These services showcase the range of South African exports, starting from ethically sourced and clear cosmetics comprising pure pure extracts in addition to sturdy electro technical tools that has handed the assessments of utmost African local weather situations.

Naturally, our providing wouldn’t be full with out corporations which are showcasing the best of South African Clothing, Leather and Footwear!

We are exceptionally pleased with the delegation that includes plastics, chemical and mining engineering corporations whose providers have met the Chinese requirements such that they’ve been in a position to collectively full infrastructure initiatives with Chinese corporations.

Esteemed delegates,

It is our agency perception that CISCE can be instrumental in linking up Chinese consumers and importers with the South African producers on the stands right now. One of probably the most important steps in South Africa’s journey to balancing its commerce with China would be the intensive itemizing of South African merchandise on e-commerce platforms like Alibaba.

We are additionally making efforts to make sure the location of high quality South African merchandise in numerous Free Trade Zones all through China.

These numerous alternatives to acquire first-hand market info and to grasp the Chinese distribution channels, limitations and procedures for getting into and supplying the Chinese market will crystallise our efforts to strengthen enterprise relations between the South African corporations and Chinese entities with the goal of creating long run enterprise.

Furthermore, South Africa’s sturdy industrial base, superior monetary sector, and strategic location make it well-positioned to contribute to the implementation of free commerce agreements, notably the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This space fosters financial integration, elevated commerce, and funding inside Africa whereas additionally offering alternatives for China to deepen its engagement with the continent. For South Africa, the AfCFTA gives an opportunity to diversify exports, particularly manufactured items, and scale back reliance on conventional markets.

For China, it presents a chance to additional its financial partnerships with African nations by investing in worth chains and probably changing into a key vacation spot for African exports.

To diversify its vitality steadiness, scale back carbon emissions, and enhance vitality safety, South Africa can also be quickly rising its dependence on renewable vitality sources. We have set bold targets for renewable vitality deployment, notably in photo voltaic and wind energy.

Through the Renewable Energy Masterplan, we’ve set out how South Africa can arrange a brand new manufacturing trade in renewable vitality and battery storage worth chains. The masterplan additionally goals to draw a minimum of R15 billion (US$784 million) in funding by 2030 and prepare “green workers” for employment in 25,000 direct jobs.

Our nation additionally has a strong pipeline of investible initiatives, notably in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and key infrastructure. SEZs provide incentives, together with tax breaks and streamlined rules. Infrastructure initiatives, together with these in vitality, water, sanitation, and transport, are additionally a key focus for attracting funding and driving financial development.

Ladies and gents,

As the Chair of the G20 in 2025, we firmly imagine that the institution of tolerating enterprise relationships should happen inside the framework of a good, inclusive, and rules-based world financial order. This order ought to prioritise industrialisation, funding in inexperienced applied sciences, and digital infrastructure as key parts of sustainable improvement, particularly for creating economies.

We goal to foster mutually useful financial development, create jobs, and advance sustainable improvement for each nations by these efforts.

These priorities are mirrored within the total CISCE programme, which intently aligns with areas of potential cooperation between South Africa and China. We due to this fact invite our Chinese counterparts to assist and take part in the important thing pillars of our G20 agenda by investing in inexperienced industrial initiatives, renewable vitality, digital infrastructure, and regional manufacturing initiatives in South Africa and throughout the African continent.

Through such collaboration, we are able to deepen our strategic partnership and make sure that the outcomes of South Africa’s G20 Presidency mirror the shared aspirations of the Global South.

Against this backdrop, we additionally sit up for internet hosting Chinese and different worldwide consumers, importers and distributors in a tailor-made procurement mission that we are going to organize on the margins of the G20 Summit in November 2025. A preview of what awaits you in South Africa could be discovered on the South African pavilion.

We urge all stakeholders to grab these alternatives, foster partnerships, share finest practices, and collectively form the way forward for provide chain administration to construct a extra related, resilient, and affluent world.

I thanks – Xie Xie!

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

www.thepresidency.gov.za