Prime Minister Orpo in South Africa: “Finland has a lot to offer”

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo visited South Africa on 26–27 November. In Pretoria, Prime Minister Orpo met for discussions with the Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile. This was the first-ever visit by a Finnish prime minister to Pretoria, the administrative capital of the country. The main purpose of the visit was to promote commercial and economic relations between Finland and South Africa, and the Prime Minister had several meetings related to export promotion. Prime Minister Orpo was accompanied on his visit by a large business delegation put together by Business Finland.

In their meeting, Prime Minister Orpo and Deputy President Mashatile discussed bilateral relations between Finland and South Africa. South Africa is Finland’s biggest trading partner in Africa: last year, Finland exported EUR 375.5 million worth of goods to the country.

“My discussions with the Deputy President focused especially on opportunities for cooperation on digitalisation, renewable energy, mining, the circular economy and water. There are already 33 Finnish companies with permanent operations in South Africa, but the Deputy President and I believe there is potential to increase that number,” said Prime Minister Orpo. “I also highlighted some key international issues, especially the situation in Ukraine.”

The large business delegation put together by Business Finland consisted of 25 individuals and 19 companies or associations.

“I have been told that this might be the largest Finnish business delegation in history to visit Africa. It is very important that we actively seek export and trade opportunities for Finland, as this leads to investments and jobs,” said Prime Minister Orpo.

In South Africa, Prime Minister Orpo and representatives of Finnish companies met with several local business leaders with a view to opening up new opportunities for cooperation.  

Prime Minister Orpo also delivered the opening speech at a public event held in connection with the annual Science Forum South Africa. During the forum, Prime Minister Orpo paid a visit to Finland’s expo stand, which focused on environmental sciences. The Prime Minister’s programme also included a visit to Nokia's South African Headquarters and Innovation Centre and a Nokia-led training centre that is working to alleviate the high rate of youth unemployment in South Africa.

The Prime Minister also gave the opening speech at the Building Together for a Smart and Sustainable Future event organised by Business Finland to showcase Finnish expertise.

Inquiries: Marja Koskela, Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister, tel. +358 295 160 978 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU and International Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 07 33