The Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, Kalil Konaté, received a delegation from the South African Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral economic relations between the two countries.
Led by Thabiso Musa, Deputy Director of African Business Relations (ABER), the South African delegation reaffirmed Pretoria’s commitment to accelerating the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries during the South African President’s visit to Côte d’Ivoire in June 2022. At the heart of the discussions was the operationalization of the Joint Trade and Investment Committee, a strategic mechanism designed to structure, boost, and diversify trade flows and investment opportunities between Abidjan and Pretoria. Both parties emphasized the importance of this formal framework, intended to translate the ambitions of the Cooperation Agreement into concrete actions.
The discussions highlighted the need to define a clear working framework, accompanied by an operational roadmap. For the South African side, the urgent priority is to undertake technical work to develop a joint strategy and to facilitate a technical meeting between the two ministries as soon as possible. Minister Kalil Konaté welcomed this proactive approach and emphasized the Ivorian government’s firm commitment to bringing this structuring process to fruition. He instructed his staff to accelerate preparatory work for the effective launch of the Joint Committee. “It is up to us to fully embrace this instrument in order to sustainably boost trade between our two countries,” he stated.
Through the effective implementation of this agreement, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa intend to consolidate their strategic partnership, stimulate cross-investment, and offer their respective companies new market share opportunities in high-potential sectors.
This momentum reflects the shared desire of both nations to elevate their economic cooperation to a higher level, serving growth, competitiveness, and African economic integration.
