City’s bid for stronger Luanda ties
CAPE TOWN mayor Patricia de Lille and Wesgro chief executive Tim Harris have begun a process to establish business relations with the city of Luanda, Angola, which is set to be among the 140 richest cities in the world due to its oil and diamond industries.
Last week, they met a range of government officials in Luanda and hosted an investment networking event to encourage reciprocal investment activities between the two cities.
The Angolan government recently prioritised the diversification of their economy to reduce their reliance on oil.
They expressed their interest in exploring agriculture, infrastructure development and manufacturing, which are all sectors in which the Cape region has a competitive advantage, said De Lille.
“We met with the governor of Luanda, Graciano Francisco Domingos, in order to discuss the prospect of signing a draft partnership agreement between the City of Cape Town and Luanda.
“We presented the partnership agreement, which highlights tourism, urban infrastructure, sustainable development, arts and culture, and trade and investment as possible areas of co-operation.
“Once the agreement has been signed, we will undertake to create an integrated and sustainable relationship in which expertise, research and best practices in the aforementioned areas will be shared.”
Research by Wesgro indicated that the Western Cape’s exports to Angola have increased by 12 percent in 2013, reaching R 2.5 billion.
“With three direct flights between Cape Town and Luanda a week by the national Angolan airline, we also believe that there is an opportunity to increase leisure and commercial tourism in both our cities,” De Lille added.