Africa needs to ramp up production of goods - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa says Africa cannot continue exporting raw materials, only to end up importing the finished products.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the opening of the week-long Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban.
“We can no longer have a situation where Africa exports raw materials and imports finished goods made with those materials.
“We can longer have a situation where the resources of Africa provide employment and add value in other economies, while so many of our people live in poverty and conditions of under-development.
“By promoting trade between African countries we are strengthening the continent’s industrial base and ensuring that we produce goods for ourselves and each other.”
Ramaphosa said the Covid-19 pandemic exposed vast weaknesses in Africa’s economies, with the continent overly reliant on the north for vaccines.
Only 6% of the continent’s population have been fully vaccinated.
“It clearly demonstrated that Africa needs to produce its own food and medicines, to strengthen continental supply chains, and to invest in infrastructure and capacitate African institutions,” said Ramaphosa.
“It is our expectation that this Intra-African Trade Fair will further cement its position as Africa’s premier trade platform, where African manufacturers can promote and sell more ‘Made in Africa’ goods to one another.
“This is critical if we are to change the distorted trade relationship that exists between African countries and the rest of the world.”
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