Springbok-All Black trade is also thriving

Countries have a good thing going

NOT only do South Africa and New Zealand enjoy a strong rugby relationship, trade between the countries is worth billions of rands, according to New Zealand High Commissioner Mike Burrell.

Together with Wesgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Burrell hosted a business meeting on the eve of today’s All Blacks-Springbok clash in Cape Town.

The event gave South African companies based in the Western Cape an opportunity to engage with business people from New Zealand, using their mutual love for rugby as a strong foundation for business-to-business engagement.

Speakers included Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, Wesgro chief executive Tim Harris, and president of New Zealand Rugby Brent Impey.

Burrell said: “When a New Zealander thinks of South Africa, he thinks Springboks and when a South African thinks of New Zealand she think All Blacks. So South Africa is New Zealand’s closest rival. The rugby field is a defining picture of the relationship between the two countries.”

He said about 70 000 South Africans lived in New Zealand and the two-way trade between the two countries was worth about R3.2bn and South Africa was New Zealand’s third biggest export market in Africa.

“In 2016 this was our third largest export country on the whole of the African continent. The total value of exports last year was R1.7bn and is also by far our most diverse trading relationship.

“New Zealand’s growth is important to South African businesses. In fact New Zealanders buy more goods from South Africa than from the entire continent put together.

“Goods imported last year from South Africa totalled R1.5bn. So what you can see is that we’ve actually got very even trade, which says a lot about our trade relationship.”

Burrell said that this story was incomplete if investment flows into each other’s markets were not mentioned.

He said New Zealand accounting firm Zero had chosen to launch its latest office in South Africa, the sixth after opening offices in countries such as Australia, Singapore, the UK and US.

De Lille said the trade between South Africa and New Zealand was robust and the presence of Kiwi software and technology firms in Cape Town was recognition of the city’s position as Africa’s information technology hub.

“Cape Town is an opportunity city that welcomes investment as we work to enable inclusive economic growth and job creation.”

Harris said trade between New Zealand and the Western Cape had doubled since 2009 and was now worth R700 million. This had been matched by a booming tourism relationship, he said with some 16 000 New Zealand arrivals in 2016. – joseph.booysen@inl.co.za