South Africa: Pretoria and Cairo Launch Joint Business Council to Deepen Trade

The South African government launched the Joint South Africa-Egypt Business Council (JBC) on Friday, on the sidelines of the Alamein Africa Business Forum held in Egypt. The announcement was made by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), which presents Egypt as South Africa's strategic partner and its largest export market in North Africa. According to the dtic, Egypt has a population of over 102 million, the largest in the Middle East and North Africa region, with a GDP of 362 billion dollars. Direct bilateral trade grew by 26%, rising from 3.4 to 4.3 billion rands between 2024 and 2025, according to data from Statistics South Africa cited by the department. South African exports to Egypt surged by 21%, from 1.3 to 1.6 billion rands. However, South Africa has remained in a trade deficit with Egypt since 2021, ranking in 2025 as Egypt's 46th export destination and 58th source of imports. The JBC structures several areas, including partnerships in mining and minerals, automotive and new energy mobility, agriculture and agro-processing, engineering-infrastructure, renewable energy, as well as a joint investment fund for Africa. Dtic Minister Parks Tau also participated in the Africa Automotive Investment Forum, hosted by Egyptian Investment Minister Mohamed Farid Saleh, alongside Afreximbank and the AAAM. This Council opens a commercial gateway to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa for South African businesses.