The South African envoy to Iran says he hopes Tehran can help his country to develop its energy sector as Pretoria grapples to meet the growing internal demand.
VM Khumalo made the comment in a meeting with Gholam Hosein Shafei, president of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
“I’ve recently paid a visit to Iran’s MAPNA Group and have got to know the company’s capabilities”, said the South African representative in a reference to the Iranian enterprise involved in development and construction of thermal power plants. “South Africa and Iran can cooperate in this sector as Iran enjoys good energy resources while Pretoria struggles to cope up with production”, added the African diplomat.
Following his visit to the Iranian car manufacturer Saipa, Khumalo also declared that the two countries can establish good cooperation in automobile spare parts production.
For his part, the president of Iran Chamber of Commerce emphasised the good diplomatic relations between Tehran and Pretoria and stressed that both countries should work hard to develop bilateral economic relationships. Shafei mentioned a previous joint project in telecommunication as an example of successful economic cooperation between the two countries.
The head of South African diplomatic mission in Iran said the sanctions levied on Iran by the US may cause some economical problems, however, they create other opportunities for Tehran which should be seized.
“Iran and South Africa both are members of the Non-Aligned Movement and that can pave the way so the countries further develop their bilateral relations, for example the two countries’ regional chambers of commerce can exchange ideas”, said Khumalo.
He called on Iran to send a business delegation to South Africa in a bid to gauge the country's economic opportunities and added his country will follow suit.