South Africa imports over 70% of its oil from Nigeria, Acting High Commissioner and Consul General, Bobby Moroe, has revealed.
Speaking in Lagos at the Outward Selling Mission Programme, Moroe said Nigeria uses South Africa's strategic position to distribute oil and other products across Southern Africa, including Botswana, Mozambique, and Lesotho.
"This initiative is about more than trade—it is about building on our shared history and creating opportunities that benefit both nations," he noted.
The annual programme, organised by South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, resumed after a three-year COVID-19 break. It brought together South African companies in engineering, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, mining, and manufacturing to explore collaborations with Nigerian businesses.
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Moroe stressed that both countries—Africa's largest economies must lead industrialisation under the AfCFTA framework.
Similarly, Iyke Ejimofor, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce, said the forum creates direct access for Nigerian entrepreneurs to South African investors, fostering partnerships and technology transfer.
Chairperson of the South Africa-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Ije Jidenma, urged stronger cooperation, saying, "Collaboration is not just important—it is essential."
Beyond trade, participants agreed culture—through Afrobeats and Amapiano—can further unite the two nations.
