Invest in Continent, Zuma Tells Forum
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CHINA DAILY AFRICA WEEKLY October 28 - November 3, 2016 COVER STORY 7 Invest in continent, Zuma tells forum By ANDREW MOODY in Guangzhou tunities, protect the environment and [email protected] improve people’s livelihoods.” Zuma praised President Xi Jinping South African President Jacob Zuma for reaC rming China’s commitment to is calling for more Chinese investment the continent by announcing a tripling in Africa. of aid to $60 billion at December’s 2nd Speaking at the 2nd Investing in Afri- Forum on China Africa Cooperation in ca Forum in Guangzhou, he told del- Johannesburg. egates that China’s companies should He said the FOCAC ministerial meet- prioritize investment on the continent. ing in Beijing in July was an opportu- “We encourage the Chinese business nity to take stock of how this money community to further explore oppor- would be spent. tunities in South Africa and Africa,” he He said one of such projects is likely said. to be the Moloto Rail Development “All African countries have in their Corridor linking Gauteng and Mpuma- own way put up plans to attract invest- langa provinces in South Africa. ment, and I urge all investors gathered “We are pleased that some of the here today to look at all African coun- projects are getting o9 the ground in tries for their next investments.” South Africa and other countries on the SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA says at the 2nd Investing in Africa Forum in Guangzhou that Africa is a willing He also told the forum, where $2.5 continent,” he said. business partner for China . PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY billion of deals were agreed between Zuma said that, despite the commod- China and African concerns, that Africa ities recession, many African economies was a willing business partner. were remaining resilient. He reported “Chinese “Our message is clear. Africa is open that South Africa’s GDP had grown for business. Africa is open for partner- 3.3 percent in the fi rst half of the year, investment aims ships with China in a big way. A lot of ahead of the 2.7 percent forecast by economic interaction is already taking economists. to help African place between China and Africa with “It is clear that our economy is resil- good results.” ient and has the potential to grow even countries increase Chinese Vice-Premier Ma Kai told more despite the signifi cant domestic job opportunities, the forum, which was also attended and global headwinds it faces,” he said. by representatives from 38 African He added that the development of protect the countries, including Benin President manufacturing on the continent, which Patrice Talon, that the government still was one of the themes of the forum, was environment and wants Chinese companies to reach out the key to its economic future. to Africa. He said South Africa was setting up improve people’s “We will continue to encourage Chi- special economic zones that were pio- livelihoods.” nese enterprises to expand their invest- neered by China in the 1980s, where ments in Africa, following the principles companies would be given tax allow- MA KAI of mutually benefi cial cooperation, as ances, employment incentives and a Chinese vice-premier well as green and sustainable develop- customs-controlled area. ment,” he said. “As we re-ignite our economy further, “Chinese investment aims to help we are putting our e9 orts on industrial- CHINESE VICE-PREMIER MA KAI says at the forum that the government still African countries increase job oppor- ization,” he said. wants Chinese companies to reach out to Africa. >> FROM PAGE 6 tional training in China. With the one- and other institutions. city center.” He believes there is no reason why child policy, people don’t want their kid Sino Hydro built Bui Dam, a A number of other initiatives were Africa could not be a major manu- to be a blue-collar worker. So, as a result, 400-megawatt hydroelectric project launched at the forum, including the facturing center within a matter of China’s economy is having to become that began operating in 2013, and took Investing in Africa Think Tank Alli- decades. more service-sector orientated.” just four years to do it. ance aimed at fostering the intellec- “Asia did it in about 30 or 40 years. Where both Chinese investment and “It was completed in record time tual resources of the CDB’s Research There is no reason why Africa should the World Bank have been playing a with Chinese money. It had been on the Academy and the World Bank. not be able to do it. We have a lot of major role in the continent has been in drawing board since the 1950s, but the “Knowledge is a very important part potential, with all this human capital, building infrastructure. Chinese came here and within months of this partnership, taking it beyond much of it young and dynamic, and all Africa has a huge defi cit in all aspects the project was o9 the ground,” he says just investment,” adds Bridi from the RICHARD JABO these natural resources as well.” , executive director, of infrastructure, from power capacity, “The Chinese have a much faster World Bank. The forum also focused on the role Uganda Free Zones Authority with some of the most expensive elec- decision-making process and I think “I hope it will underpin some of the of vocational training in developing the tricity in the world, to a lack of high- that is a major difference (between investments with research, so hopefully skilled workforce necessary for manu- ways, with trade between neighboring them and the World Bank).” making these investments better. We facturing. countries and region sometimes almost “Their projects always come with would also like to use the knowledge Richard Jabo, executive director impossible. finance and contractors, and fewer and experience of the Chinese academ- of the Uganda Free Zones Authority, Many places remain in desperate people are involved in the fi nal decision ic think tank to strengthen the research based in Kampala, believes it is vital. need of modern ports, airports and as to whether a project goes ahead.” of African universities in this area.” “Vocational training is key to provid- basic facilities. Joseph Onjala, senior research fel- Jiang Haiyan, deputy secretary-gen- ing proper quality and sustainable jobs. It is estimated by the World Bank low at the University of Nairobi, agrees eral of the Guangdong government, You need skilled workers to transform that lack of infrastructure wipes up to 4 that the Chinese have had an impact said at the fi nal news briefi ng that the society in the longer term,” he says. percent o9 the continent’s GDP. on infrastructure, particularly on new forum provided the opportunity to link He argues that industrial parks also TONY OTENG-GYASI, managing Tony Oteng-Gyasi, managing direc- roads easing congestion in the often with the World Bank and coordinate have a role to play in delivering voca- director, Tropical Cable and Conductor, tor of Tropical Cable and Conductor, gridlocked city where he is based. with wider initiatives such as China’s tional training. based in Tema, Ghana based in Tema, Ghana, believes Africa “The problem is that a lot of it is Belt and Road Initiative and the devel- “You are close to the manufacturing can go nowhere without proper infra- grand and nice looking but when you opment agenda set by both FOCAC unit, and you can do it on-site and you “The fi rst 20 to 30 years of the indus- structure. go back fi ve or 10 years later you fi nd and the G20 summit in Hangzhou in have this advantage of being closer to trialization process in Guangdong was “Infrastructure is critical. Without it it not very well maintained,” he says. September. industry,” he says. about turning a lot of rural migrants there can be virtually no development,” “Some the roads are not well “A new consensus has been reached Chen dismisses those who argue into workers. Typically, they had just he says. designed, even those funded by the for cooperation. Through experience that Africans do not have the same a primary school background and you He believes the Chinese have been World Bank and other agencies. They sharing and we must take advantage work ethic as Asians and cannot adapt had to give them skills,” he says. far more e9 ective in delivering infra- are meant as bypasses, but eventually also of the momentum created by these easily to manufacturing jobs. “We now have a problem with voca- structure projects than the World Bank the traC c fi nds its way back into the other major initiatives,” she says. .