THE Mzansi energy crisis, unemployment and the struggling economy are expected to be the main focus as South African business and Chinese delegates share ideas on improving the country through shared investment.
They are meeting on Wednesday, 20 September at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng.
According to businessman Gay Mokoena, the group will share ways that the Chinese investment can assist South Africa and solve the energy crisis.
"China is not new to energy crises. The country has recently solved its crises by introducing a new electricity generation method. These are some of the solutions they will be sharing with us," said Mokoena.
He said the delegation, consisting of about 140 officials and entrepreneurs from the Zhejiang Province in China, will seek investment and cooperation opportunities with the South African business community.
"South Africa and China share the same investment values, and they are also part of the BRICS community, so cooperation between the countries will yield positive results," he said.
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Mokoena said the purpose of the visit is to present the Chinese business case to potential South African business partners, and the sessions will also see Mzansi businesses being paired with corresponding Chinese businesses in a speed dating session.
He further said the event will be used to build a closer relationship between the two countries' businesses.
"South Africa is one of the main economies on the African continent and has often been said to be the gateway to Africa. This is an opportunity to match Chinese businesses with local businesspeople and help bring much-needed investment into the country," said Mokoena.
He said that this will help fight some of the most critical challenges, including unemployment and lack of youth development.
"More importantly, this will lead to the transfer of key skills into our local economy as we know China is one of the leading technology-producing countries in the world," he said.
