The UAE is strengthening its trade and investment partnerships across Africa, with discussions underway to expand collaboration with South Africa, one of its most important economic partners on the continent.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, met with Mpho Parks Tau, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, to explore new opportunities for trade, investment, and private-sector cooperation between the two nations.

The meeting reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with South Africa and the wider African continent, highlighting its growing influence in global trade. It followed an earlier roundtable that brought together senior officials and business leaders from both countries, including Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and a delegation from South Africa.

During the discussions, both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing private-sector partnerships and deepening bilateral economic relations to achieve mutual growth and prosperity.

Al Zeyoudi highlighted the strong growth in non-oil trade between the UAE and South Africa, which reached $8.5 billion in 2024—a 14% increase from 2023 and 120% higher than in 2019. The positive trend has continued into the first half of 2025, with bilateral non-oil trade reaching a total of $3.93 billion. South Africa is now the UAE’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, accounting for 7.6% of total non-oil trade with the continent and ranking 22nd globally.

“South Africa is a vital partner for the UAE in Africa. My conversations today with Tau highlight the close bonds we share in trade and investment, including important recent projects in logistics, renewable energy, and real estate. We discussed new opportunities in agriculture, food production, infrastructure, and manufacturing, and reaffirmed our belief that, by working together, we can build on our positive momentum and support each other’s economic and development ambitions,” said Al Zeyoudi.

The UAE’s engagement with Africa continues to expand, driven by a focus on sustainable growth and long-term partnerships. With the recent signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Angola, the UAE has now finalized CEPA agreements with five sub-Saharan African nations—Mauritius, Kenya, Congo-Brazzaville, the Central African Republic, and Angola—further solidifying its growing trade presence across the continent.