SA and Senegal cement ties

Africa news / International relations

State visit saw South Africa and Senegal vowing to deepen their historic ties. 

President Jacob Zuma painted a positive picture about the bilateral relationship that exists between South Africa and Senegal.

“We are generally happy with the state of our bilateral relations,” he said.

South Africa and Senegal enjoy cordial bilateral political, economic and social relations underpinned by strong historical ties dating back to the years of the liberation struggle.

President Zuma said the main objective of the state visit was to review the co-operation between the two countries and reflect on the progress made and discuss new areas of co-operation.

“During our discussions, we focused on a wide range of bilateral, continental and global issues of common interest. We have noted the dynamism that characterises our relations as evidenced by our regular consultations on issues of mutual interest, particularly issues affecting the wellbeing of the beloved continent.

“The dynamism we are talking about relates but is not limited to the progress made in strengthening the relations between our two countries, especially in the field of arts and culture,” President Zuma said.

He said considering the strong historical bonds between the two countries and the collective desire to forge closer co-operation and partnership, they have decided to elevate their Joint Commission for Bilateral Co-operation to the level of ministers.

“We believe that this will give the required push to enhancing our co-operation,” he said.

President Zuma said they are also committed to ensuring that all 14 of the signed sectoral agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) are fully implemented.

“We have just witnessed yet another signing of a legal instrument, in this case the MoU in the field of tourism. We welcome this MoU, which will foster co-operation and the sharing of expertise in the exchange of tourism information, tourism promotion and partnership investments in the sector.

“We believe that both countries stand to benefit a lot from the agreement and hope that not only will it be beneficial to the people working in the tourism sector, but also for the average citizen wishing to explore the other’s beautiful country,” he said.

The visit of President Sall took place after the successful commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Dakar Talks in June 2017, which were held in Senegal.

The Dakar Talks are widely considered to have paved the way towards a negotiated settlement between the ANC and the then government of South Africa.

Trade relations

Trade between South Africa and Senegal has been steadily increasing since 2010. In 2016, South Africa exported goods to the value of R 1.7 billion to Senegal while importing  goods to the value of R29 million from that country.

South African exports consist of, amongst others, fresh produce, manufacturing equipment and household appliances. South African imports from Senegal are mainly household furniture and effects, textile materials and original sculptures.

South African companies and entities operating in Senegal include DSTV, South African Airways and Transnet.