Cairo: As part of the efforts of the Egyptian Commercial Office in Pretoria to develop and strengthen economic and trade relations between Egypt and South Africa, Commercial Counselor Ihab Salah El-Din, Head of the Office, in cooperation with South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and in coordination with the South African Embassy in Cairo, is organizing the visit of a South African trade delegation, comprising 15 companies, to Egypt during the period from January 24 to 28, 2026.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the delegation, currently in Egypt, includes companies operating in several sectors of mutual interest, including engineering industries, mining, chemical industries, apparel and textiles, cosmetics and medical supplies, automotive industries, and processed agricultural products. The visit is scheduled to include a number of site visits by South African company delegations to Egyptian factories and companies, in addition to holding a joint Egyptian-South African Business Forum featuring direct bilateral (B2B) meetings on January 26, 2026, contributing to deeper engagement between the business communities of both countries.
The South African trade mission to Egypt aims to identify new markets for South African companies' products, build trade and investment partnerships with Egyptian counterparts, and identify Egyptian suppliers of production inputs at competitive prices. In this context, Minister Plenipotentiary Dr. Abdel Aziz El Sherif, First Undersecretary of the Ministry and Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS), stated that this visit comes as a continuation of the efforts of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the ECS to develop economic relations with countries-particularly African countries-and to enhance trade and investment partnerships within the continent.
He added that 2025 witnessed a notable increase in the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and South Africa, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 200 million during the first ten months of 2025, compared to approximately USD 186 million during the whole of 2024. El-Sherif also noted that Egyptian-South African relations experienced growing economic and political momentum over the past year, culminating in Egypt's participation in the G20 Summit activities last November, led by the Prime Minister, reflecting the depth of bilateral relations and the shared commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two countries at all levels.