Bringing Finnish water expertise to South Africa

Permanent Secretary Jaana Husu-Kallio will visit South Africa on 28–31 October with a delegation of representatives from authorities, research institutes and businesses working in the water sector. The purpose of the visit is to explore possibilities for cooperation in the reutilisation of water and in training and research activities for the water sector.

During the visit, efforts will be made to advance cooperation between the Finnish and South African authorities and promote the business of Finnish water companies in Polokwane. A further goal is to explore opportunities for cooperation in agriculture and sustainable food production.

The delegation includes representatives from the Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, the Finnish Water Forum, Mikkeli Waterworks, Häme University of Applied Sciences and the Finnish national committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (FINCID). The business delegation consists of representatives from Operon Group Ltd, Aquazone Ltd, UROS Ltd and Mipro Ltd.

In Pretoria, Husu-Kallio will meet with David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation. In addition, the visit will focus on the city of Polokwane, where Husu-Kallio, together with the representatives from Mikkeli, will explore opportunities for partnerships in water management, especially wastewater treatment and the production of purified circulation water.

To ensure the sustainability of water supply services, the visit aims to promote not only technical solutions but also cooperation in training, research and the overall management of water resources. The delegation’s training and research organisations will visit the universities of Limpopo and Pretoria.

What Finland has to offer is competitive solutions to global water and sanitation challenges and for target-oriented collaboration between the private and public sector. The strengths of the Finnish water sector include the combination of water expertise with innovative IT knowhow, reliable technology, environmentally friendly production processes and an advanced education sector.

Inquiries:

Jenni Kiilholma, Senior Specialist, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +27-82 921 5818, jenni.kiilholma(at)formin.fi

Olli-Matti Verta, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, tel. +358 (0)295 162 123, olli-matti.verta(at)mmm.fi