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Home / Value addition key to Africa’s industrialisation
Value addition key to Africa’s industrialisation
2016-11-11Staff Report 2 Walvis Bay - Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura says African leaders have an obligation to add greater value to the continent’s natural resources to ensure it meaningfully beneficits its people. The premier who earlier this week visited some capital intensive projects in the Erongo Region says Africa will only become industrialised through value addition, industrialisation, infrastructure development and doing away with the bureucratic red tape. Makhura who visited Namport, Rössing and Walvis Bay Salt Holdings and fish processors was impressed with Namibia especially the Erongo Region that plays a major major role towards the country’s industrialisation quest. “Namibia is on the right path and there is a lot of synergy between Namibia and South Africa. However it is essential to enhance trade not only between the two countries but also in Africa as a continent,” he said. He addedit is quite clear that Namibia has a lot of natural resources that needs to be processe. According to the premier, South Africa on its part is keen to improve inter Africa trade to contribute to industrialisation. AQgro-processing is one sector where there is lots of synergy between Namibia and South Africa. “Amazingly, we buy a lot of cattle from Namibia and the meat is processed in South Africa and sold back to Namibia and the world. The same happens with fish. Namibia imports fish from South Africa processes it and sells it back to us and to the world,” he noted. “That is way we need to look at those basics when we talk business. We should be able to look at the broader picture which is the process of adding value to our products and at the same time look at the possibility of setting up manufacturing and processing plants. It is not enough to sell or export our raw materials but we should be able to add value in our own countries,” he said. He also stressed the importance of enhance competitive advantages such as increasing trade volumes, remove red tape and pay more attention to infrastructure development. “This way Africa will raise in a more sustainable way. There is already a lot of trade between Walvis Bay and Johannesburg the volumes of trucks moving goods is massive. However we need to pay more attention to infrastructure and remove red tape,” Makhura stated. He added that this will allow goods services and people too much quicker and enhance trade routes. “Africa can do so much more but only if we commit to our own development, we will become an industrialise continent and create more jobs for our people,” the premier said. 2016-11-11Staff Report 2
