Ramaphosa, Merkel talk SA's energy woes
President Cyril Ramaphosa says he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had extensive and informative talks on energy - as the country is in its eighth day of the latest round of load shedding.
Merkel is in South Africa on an official visit.
Germany is South Africa's biggest trading partner in Europe - and the second biggest overall - after China.
The two leaders held a joint press briefing at the Union Buildings today - where Ramaphosa said South Africa and Germany's relationship should move beyond trade.
READ: Stage 2 load shedding continues today until Friday
“We had very extensive and very informative discussions on energy. The chancellor was able to share the German experience and how they moved from coal-fired power stations into renewables. We are still reliant on coal-powered stations. But we have already started our journey to renewables,” he said.
Ramaphosa says there should be other areas of cooperation, such as education, health and climate change.
"Ultimately, the ties that bind our two countries are the strong relations that have developed between our two peoples, and a shared commitment to a just, prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future for all."
