dtic Deputy Minister undertakes working visit to Czechia, Poland and Germany

Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) Deputy Minister John Steenhuisen is taking South Africa’s trade and investment agenda to Europe, with a working visit to Czechia, Poland and Germany from 31 August to 10 September 2026, aimed at strengthening bilateral economic relations and opening new opportunities for South African businesses.

The visit will focus on expanding trade, attracting investment and deepening industrial cooperation with three important European partners.

In Czechia, Steenhuisen will chair the sixth session of the South Africa-Czechia Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation (JCEC), while also meeting with businesses to advance the dtic’s investment attraction and export diversification mandate.

Czechia was South Africa’s ninth-largest trading partner within the European Union in 2025, with bilateral trade reaching US$1.1 billion.

Czech investment in South Africa is also growing, particularly in renewable energy, electronic components, boat building, textiles, communication, hospitality and services.

At the same time, several South African companies have established a presence in Czechia across sectors including food and beverages, paper, printing and packaging, financial services, plastics, transportation and warehousing, as well as software and information technology (IT) services.

Steenhuisen’s engagements will seek to further diversify and grow South African exports to the Central European market, while identifying opportunities for industrial cooperation and attracting Czech investment into productive sectors such as renewable energy, defence, critical mineral beneficiation, chemicals, advanced manufacturing, rail and electric vehicles (EVs).

The visit will also provide an opportunity to advance discussions under the Southern African Development Community-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC-EU EPA) and promote Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP) projects to facilitate inward investment.

Deepening ties with Poland

In Poland, Steenhuisen will co-chair the inaugural session of the South Africa-Poland Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation with his Polish counterpart, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology Michał Baranowski.

His programme will include government-to-government engagements, a South Africa-Poland Business Roundtable and industry site visits.

Poland is an important economic partner for South Africa within the EU, with bilateral trade increasing by 7% from US$1.5 billion in 2024 to US$1.6 billion in 2025. Poland is South Africa’s seventh-largest trading partner within the EU.

While Poland’s foreign direct investment footprint in South Africa remains modest, its investments span sectors such as electronic components, software and IT services, and consumer products.

South African companies are also investing in Poland in areas including real estate, software and IT services, consumer electronics, transportation and warehousing, paper, printing and packaging, textiles and business services.

The engagements in Poland are expected to support efforts to increase and diversify South African exports, attract Polish investment into productive sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and automotive, and advance discussions under the SADC-EU EPA.

The visit will also explore potential industrial cooperation in green manufacturing, mineral processing, robotics and industrial automation, tooling and precision engineering, as well as research and development.

Strengthening the Germany partnership

From Poland, Steenhuisen will travel to Munich and Frankfurt in Germany for the final leg of his working visit.

In Munich, he will meet Bavarian Secretary of State for the Ministry of Economic Affairs Tobias Gotthardt, engage with key investors in South Africa, including BMW and Siemens, and undertake an industrial site visit to UnternehmerTUM.

In Frankfurt, the Deputy Minister will participate in a roundtable with the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, undertake industrial site visits and visit the South African National Pavilion at the Automechanika exhibition, where the dtic has supported several South African companies to showcase their products.

Germany remains a critical economic partner for South Africa. Based on 2025 trade data, Germany is South Africa’s third-largest trading partner globally, after China and the United States, and its largest trading partner within the EU.

Bilateral trade between South Africa and Germany expanded by approximately 14%, from US$14.3 billion in 2024 to US$16.5 billion in 2025.

Germany also continues to play an important role in supporting South Africa’s industrial development through partnerships between the dtic and the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

These include the Global Eco Industrial Parks Partnership (GEIPP), which seeks to harness resource efficiency for energy and water projects in industrial parks and special economic zones, and the Partnering in Business with Germany programme, which provides capacity building, mentorship and international exposure to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Through engagements across Czechia, Poland and Germany, the working visit is expected to strengthen South Africa’s economic partnerships in Europe while creating opportunities to expand exports, attract investment and support industrial development. – SAnews.gov.za

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