Provincial Government’s economic recovery and reconstruction programme continues its certain march this week with MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Ravi Pillay leading a delegation of top bureaucrats to the Annual Conference of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) being held in Egypt this week. The event is being held at the St Regis, New Administrative Capital City of Cairo, Egypt.

MEC Pillay will this afternoon deliver a paper on behalf of Premier Sihle Zikalala who was meant to lead the delegation but had to withdraw due to pressing commitment sin the province. KwaZulu-Natal has established solid relations with Afreximbank and these relations are key to driving the province’s economic recovery programme following Covid-19, the July 2021 Unrest and recently the devastating floods.

The AFREXIM conference was due to be opened officially today by President of the Arab Republic of Egypt H.E. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and African Banker of the Year Professor Benedict Oramah who is President of Afreximbank. This year the conference is being held under the theme: “Realising the AfCFTA Potential in the Post-COVID-19 Era – Leveraging the Power of the Youth”.

Following the official opening, the afternoon session with governors and international business leaders will specifically look at the role of sub-sovereigns in driving free trade across Africa.