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Highlights of the month for South Africa are the Outcome of South Africa Investment Conference, 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province and The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign will take place from 25 November to 10 December 2018.

Outcome of South Africa Investment Conference

“South Africa Investment Conference aims to accelerate growth”

The investment conference is a part of President Ramaphosa’s plan to secure $100 billion in investment over the next five years.

The inaugural South Africa Investment Conference hosted delegates from around the world to position South Africa as an ideal investment location. The three-day conference was hosted under the theme, ‘Accelerating Growth by Building Partnerships’ to draw foreign investment from both private companies and governments.

During his State of the Nation speech earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined his plans for an investment conference to draw much-needed investment into the country. Ramaphosa launched a bold plan in April this year to draw in $100 billion (approximately R1 470,71 billion) in new domestic investments over the next five years. The conference will aim to have a significant impact on that number.

“We are here to declare that we are determined to build a country that is driven by enterprise and innovation, to develop an economy that is diverse and resilient, as well as prosperous, and to create companies and enable companies to operate and achieve sustained returns, not only for their shareholders but also their workers as well as the communities that support them.”

Ramaphosa added that he has been humbled by the number of investment pledges they have received so far from both local and offshore investors and task teams have been appointed to convert those pledges into investments.

There are, however, still many investors reluctant to get involved in the country because of its economic uncertainty.

He said many potential investors have raised their concerns about investing in the country because of policy uncertainty and regulatory obstacles and he, along with a team, are working to overcome these challenges.

He also aimed to restore optimism in the country’s state-owned enterprises which have been racked by corruption and mismanagement. “We are in repair mode, we are rebuilding, we are renewing and we are repositioning, not only our country as a whole but also our state-owned enterprises.”

Ramaphosa concluded by inviting foreign and local investors to invest in a wide range of opportunities including technology, farms, call-centres, solar farms and the people of South Africa.

“We invite you to become valued partners in realising the vision, and sharing the benefits, as you must, in a new era of renewal, discovery, prosperity and progress and great promise, this is what South Africa offers.”

Please find full speech of Presidents Closing Remarks;
https://sainvestmentconference.co.za/2018/10/29/closing-remarks-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-at-the-south-africa-investment-conference/

Council of Ministers Meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Lindiwe Sisulu, on Friday, 02 November 2018 hosted the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province. The meeting took place under the theme: “IORA – Uniting the Peoples of Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East through Enhanced Co-operation for Peace, Stability and Sustainable Development.”

IORA Member States honoured former President Nelson Mandela by establishing “The IORA Nelson Mandela be the Legacy Internship Programme”. The programme is aimed at empowering young people under the age of 30 years from IORA member states with work experience in their chosen fields of study.

The establishment of “The IORA Nelson Mandela Be the Legacy Internship Programme” comes as the country celebrates the centenary of the first democratic President of the Republic of South Africa who is also widely acknowledged as the Father of IORA.

Speaking at an event, Princess Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, who is also South Africa’s High Commissioner to Mauritius, thanked IORA member states for honouring the legacy of Madiba. Princess Mandela-Dlamini told the IORA Council of Ministers that Madiba believed that the key to empowering people is education.

Challenging IORA Member States to invest in young people, Minister Sisulu said: “Madiba loved young people and he strongly believed that education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.

The programme will be launched on 18th July 2019, the day Madiba would have turned 101 years. Minister Sisulu indicated that South Africa will submit its request for the first intake.

IORA was established through the vision of former South African President Nelson Mandela, when 14 member states founded the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) in March 1997. The Association is an economic cooperative community of littoral and island states whose shores are washed by the Indian Ocean.

Currently the membership of IORA is sitting at 21 member states. Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen. IORA is also supported by seven Dialogue Partners: the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom (UK), Egypt, China and Germany. IORA has observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, UNCTAD and the African Union.

South Africa believes that IORA presents an opportunity to promote deeper economic co-operation among member states.

The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign

The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign will take place from 25 November to 10 December 2018.

Over the period government will convene a series of dialogues on violence against women and children to focus on the problem, discuss the causes and to find appropriate solutions. Through the dialogue sessions government will interact with community members who experience violence and abuse.

It is important that the 16 Days Campaign is not viewed as a stand-alone event. It is another leg of the #356Days of Activism Campaign and #CountMeIn, which aims to mobilise members of society, especially men to join hands with government in the fight to curb Violence Against Women.

Please check the link to find out the objectives of the campaign and  what you can do to support;
https://www.gov.za/16-days-activism-no-violence-against-women-and-children-2014

We wish you all a Happy November Month.

Ambassador P I Malefane
South African Embassy in Ankara, Turkey