SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY NEWSLETTER

ASTANA JANUARY 2018 SA RE-ELECTED TO IMO COUNCIL regional directors of the United Na- two years ago, to fifth last year and tions High Commissioner for Refu- third this year. gees (UNHCR), Sharon Cooper; In- ternational Federation of the Red 2018 is expected to be an even bigger Cross (IFRC), Lorraine Mangwiro; and year for South Africa's Mother City, as International Organisation of Migration the country celebrates a century since (IOM), Charles Kwinin. Nelson Mandela was born.

South Africa has been re-elected to Other cities in the top 10 include Ven- the Council of the International Mari- ice (Italy), Sydney (Australia) and time Organisation (IMO). New York (USA).

The council is the Executive Organ of SA TO HOST 10TH BRICS SUMMIT the IMO and is responsible for super- IN JULY vising the work of the organisation. The IMO itself is the global standard- setting authority for maritime safety, In his address, Deputy Minister security and environmental perfor- Landers reaffirmed South Africa's mance of international shipping. commitment to the multilateral sys- tem, based on the rule of law and Voting to elect new member states of respect for international refugee law the council of the IMO for the 2018-19 and international humanitarian law. period took place during the fifth day of the 30th Regular Session of the CAPE TOWN VOTED GREATEST South Africa, which took over the Assembly in London on 1 December. CITY IN THE WORLD FOR FIFTH rotational Chairship of the emerging YEAR IN A ROW! economies grouping Brazil, Russia, South Africa's Deputy Minister of India, China and South Africa Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has (BRICS), is set to host the 10th thanked all the member states that BRICS summit in July. cast their ballot in favour of South Africa. She thanked the African Union The summit, which is scheduled from (AU) for endorsing South Africa's 25 – 27 July at the Sandton Conven- candidature in the election. tion Centre, will see South Africa building on the BRICS programme of South Africa has a long-standing development and prosperity for part- relationship with the IMO since 1948 ner countries. under observer status and the country became a member in 1995. The coun- South Africa says the summit, which try has continued to actively maintain will be attended by heads of state its relationship with the organisation It's official. Again! For the fifth year in from the grouping, will be an im- and its members beyond this period. a row, the greatest city in the world portant milestone towards building has been named as Cape Town! And stronger solidarity and cooperation Due to South Africa's continued dili- that's according to over 90 000 people among emerging markets. gence in IMO affairs and its role in the … sub-Saharan region, South Africa The 2017 Telegraph Travel Awards The session was imperative as South continued to be re-elected to the IMO are selected according to votes cast Africa assumed the rotational Chair- Council since 1999. by 90 000 readers of the United King- ship from China from 1 January to 31 As a member of the IMO Council, dom newspaper. December 2018. South Africa served as vice chairper- son from 2005 to 2015. The paper describes the winning city Amb Sooklal said the summit would as "a coastal gem in the shadow of an showcase the cooperation that the DEPUTY MINISTER LANDERS RE- iconic mountain, where fine wine BRICS countries enjoyed, as well as CEIVES LETTERS OF APPOINT- flows and penguins roam. It could its impact globally as they addressed MENT OF THE REGIONAL DIREC- only be Cape Town". key challenges faced by emerging TORS OF THE UNHCR, IFRC AND countries such as developmental IOM Cape Town beat Canada's Vancouver challenges, growing the economy and and Japan's Tokyo to win the coveted addressing poverty and unemploy- In November 2017, the Deputy Minis- travel award. Frustratingly for Van- ment. ter of International Relations and couver, it's the fifth year in a row that Cooperation, Luwellyn Landers, re- they've come second. Tokyo, howev- According to Amb Sooklal, within the ceived letters of appointment of the er, has shot up the chart from seventh BRICS context, South Africa has

SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY NEWSLETTER

ASTANA JANUARY 2018 primary goals which are to see devel- tist, Prof. Robert Millar, on winning the Against this backdrop, the AU held opment and inclusive economic prestigious African Union (AU) the second High-Level Dialogue in growth, promote value-added trade Kwame Nkrumah Award on 28 Janu- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which aims to among BRICS countries and advance ary 2018. promote STEM-focused TVET for investment into the productive sector. women and girls. The award was handed out during the The five BRICS countries account for opening ceremony of the 30th As- The dialogue formed part of the 30th 26% of the world's landmass and are sembly of Heads of State and Gov- AU Summit, which ended on 29 Jan- home to 43% of the world's popula- ernment of the AU, taking place in uary 2018. tion. The bloc is composed of emerg- Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic ing markets and the developing world. Republic of Ethiopia. The high-level dialogue was in part- nership with the Royal Norwegian There has been substantive progress Prof. Millar won in the Life and Earth Embassy in Addis Ababa as well as achieved since South Africa joined Sciences Category. Each winner AU partners. BRICS in 2011, as seen for example receives US$100 000 in prize money. in the launch of the Africa Regional SAATM TO CREATE 300 000 JOBS Centre (ARC) of the New Develop- President Zuma said: "The develop- ment Bank (NDB) in South Africa. ment of science and technology is essential for the improvement of the The formation has strengthened its lives of Africa's people, and this is one cooperative mechanism for institu- area where we need to invest re- tional development, most notably sources and encourage our youth to witnessed in the creation of the NDB explore". The launch of a Single African Air and the recently launched ARC in Transport Market (SAATM) is ex- Johannesburg. President Zuma also said: "The South pected to create 300 000 direct and African Government will continue to two million indirect jobs on the conti- In 2015, total intra-BRICS trade provide a conducive environment for nent. amounted to R3,06 trillion. research and innovation as one of

those areas identified in the National “With preparations continuing on South Africa’s exports to BRICS coun- Development Plan". schedule, the launch of the SAATM tries marginally increased from R123 will spur more opportunities to pro- billion in 2011 to R138,2 billion in AU PREPARES WOMEN FOR mote trade, cross-border investments 2016, while in the same period, im- FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLU- in the production and service indus- ports from BRICS countries also in- TION tries, including tourism, resulting in creased from R115 billion to R230 the creation of an additional 300 000 billion. direct and two million indirect jobs

contributing immensely to the integra- Total intra-BRICS foreign direct in- tion and socio-economic growth of the vestment was R554 trillion at the end continent,” said African Union (AU) of February 2016. Commissioner for Infrastructure and

Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid. However, despite the deepened rela- The African Union (AU) International tions within BRICS, Amb Sooklal said Centre for Girls and Women Educa- The SAATM was launched on 28 there was room for better coordination tion in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) says its January at the AU Summit in Addis between BRICS countries in other high time women and girls are geared Ababa, Ethiopia, as part of the first areas. towards competitive industries in the AU Agenda 2063 Flagship Project. fields of science. Commissioner Abou-Zeid said the PRESIDENT ZUMA CONGRATU- aviation industry currently supported LATES PROF. MILLAR ON WIN- “It is imperative for African states to eight million jobs in Africa and SAATM NING PRESTIGIOUS AU AWARD move from commitment to action, to invest in human capital and financial was created with the aim of enhanc- resources so as to build self- ing connectivity on the continent. confidence of girls and young women and boost their interest in science, “SAATM was created with the aim of technology, engineering and mathe- enhancing connectivity and ensuring matics (STEM) or higher level of that the industry plays a more promi- Technical and Vocational Education nent role in the global economy and and Training (TVET),” said the AU in significantly contributing to the AU’s President Jacob Zuma has congratu- a statement. Agenda 2063,” said Commissioner lated renowned South African scien- Abou-Zeid.

SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY NEWSLETTER

ASTANA JANUARY 2018 So far, 23 African countries out of 55 Her export-focused company, Aslina was a setback for her … but because have subscribed to the SAATM, Wines, established three years ago, of her passion for singing and music, whereas 44 African countries signed produces , cabernet she just couldn’t give up. the Yamoussoukro Decision. sauvignon, and a bor- deaux blend sourced from around Belinda beat out almost 15 000 other The declaration on the establishment Stellenbosch, South Africa's moun- hopefuls to win the lead role in a trib- of a SAATM, as a Flagship Project of tain-rimmed wine region outside Cape ute show by Showtime Australia, the AU Agenda 2063, was adopted by Town. called The Greatest Love of All: The the AU Assembly in January 2015. Whitney Houston Show. The show is "I produce the wine myself and over- currently in Australia and will be in the SA'S FIRST BLACK FEMALE see the process from the beginning to United Kingdom in April and South WINEMAKER NTSIKI BIYELA IS end," she told AFP. Africa in June! SHAKING UP THE INDUSTRY In a wine-bottling facility in Stellen- SA GOLF COURSES SHINE bosch, hundreds of Aslina wines snake through a conveyor belt, ready to be packaged and shipped to desti- nations as various as the United States, Germany, Ghana and Taiwan.

The wine is not yet available locally in South Africa, but plans are afoot to take it to many more global markets. Fancourt in the Garden Route was Biyela entered the industry after stud- recently honoured as Golf Resort of ying studies at Stellenbosch the Year at the 18th annual Interna- University, and worked as a resident tional Association of Golf Tour Opera- winemaker at Stellekaya Winery, a tors Awards, and now The Links – a family-owned producer. privately-owned club at Fancourt – has improved its ranking in the 2018 Her earned her Golf Digest World Top 100 Golf

South Africa's Woman Winemaker of Courses. With a history dating back over three the Year Award in 2009, affirming her centuries, South Africa's world- place among the country's top vint- The Links has gained kudos as the renowned wine industry has long ners in a sector still dominated by Golf Digest World 100 magazine (US been the domain of generations of white men. edition) ranked this challenging golf just a few elite white families. But the course number 38, from number 43. emergence of a crop of new black SOUTH AFRICAN WOMAN BRINGS players such as winemaker and own- THE HOUSE DOWN IN NEW YORK Other golf estates across the country er of Aslina Wines, Ntsiki Biyela, is AND WORLDWIDE that made the prestigious list are changing the makeup of the industry Leopard Creek that's situated on the that is among the world's top 10 wine border of the Kruger National Park producers. and ranked at number 65, and Kwa-

Zulu-Natal's, Durban Country Club Biyela, 39, shot to fame in 2004 as ranked at number 96. South Africa's first black female winemaker, shattering stereotypes A South African woman, Belinda Da- about black people's affinity for wine, vids, has been bringing the house and she now exports around the down around the world. world. In December, Belinda’s incredible After 13 years on the wine scene, rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Will Biyela believes that the capital- Always Love You earned her a stand- intensive industry is "big enough" for ing ovation at the prestigious Show- new entrants, but admits it is "not time At The Apollo in New York. It’s easy to crack". the very same stage where Whitney "Apart from the financial aspect of it, herself recorded Greatest Love of All. the winemaking process demands dedication, from dealing with the vine- Belinda started earning money per- growers, buyers and the consumers," forming in clubs at the age of 40. She she said. was signed to a few record labels but, she says, it “didn’t quite work out”. It