South Africa’s economy has been given a boost following an announcement by the UK government to provide greater support for trade. British businesses will have more opportunities to expand, invest and export to South Africa through a flagship partnership.        

Transformative partnerships

Launched at an event in Durban on 17 July, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves described the agreement as having the potential to be transformative for the best and brightest British firms doing business in the country. The partnership aims to unlock commercial opportunities in areas like architectural design, engineering, and professional and business services.

Growth and development

Although the UK is the biggest international investor in South Africa, UK businesses have faced challenges, such as delays to projects due to delayed infrastructure delivery. Deploying British expertise will seek to unblock these barriers on building and speed up a pipeline of projects. The objective of the agreement is to help growth and development in South Africa, and also help Britain get better return on its investments in the country.

This model of Government-to-Government (G2G) Infrastructure Partnership has previously delivered strong growth and jobs in countries such as Peru, building a track-record of international delivery and bringing economic growth to the UK. The collaboration will build on work already done to bring British expertise on design, planning and building infrastructure to South Africa, as evidenced at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

Chancellor Reeves welcomed the initiative, explaining that by unlocking these opportunities, doors are being opened for British expertise, creating a pipeline of work in South Africa to support good jobs paying decent wages.

Job creation and restored dignity

South Africa’s Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, said: “This landmark partnership with the UK reflects our vision to ensure that public assets deliver real value for our people and to turn South Africa into a construction site which will help grow our economy and create jobs. By injecting technical expertise and delivery support into stalled projects within the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure, we are turning neglected buildings and land into opportunities for job creation, economic growth, and restored dignity.

Building on close relationships

The G2G Partnership will formalise UK support via technical assistance for new initiatives to improve South Africa’s management of public assets, accelerate project delivery in selected local municipalities, and launch an initiative to bring in the UK-SA Infrastructure Partnership. It will also enhance the thriving collaboration between the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and South Africa’s Department of Public Works & Infrastructure. It builds on the close business relationship between both countries and paves the way to opportunities.