Cairo: Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan el Khatib engaged in talks with South African Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau regarding an industrial cooperation agreement in the automobile sector between Egypt and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). The discussion took place on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, focusing on expanding economic relations between the two nations.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Khatib stressed the necessity for Egypt to thoroughly examine the South African proposal and develop a roadmap for future actions, while considering the unique needs of Egyptian manufacturers. The dialogue also covered the potential establishment of mutual logistics zones, with specialists from both countries tasked with evaluating proposed economic zones and ports.

Furthermore, the ministers agreed on the significance of creating regular shipping lines between Egypt and South Africa. They decided to continue deliberations on this topic post-selection of specific areas and ports for logistics development. Both parties also highlighted the importance of identifying strategic goods to enhance bilateral trade, assigning specialists to compile a list of these goods.

In addition, discussions were held on forming the Egyptian-South African Joint Business Council. It was agreed that the council would be officially announced during the upcoming joint Egyptian-South African committee meeting. The fifth session of this committee is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.