The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia, conducted a working visit to Johannesburg, South Africa. The visit marked an important milestone in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries in the economic sector. The Minister held meetings with South African President and key cabinet members to discuss important matters related to trade, investment, and agricultural cooperation. One of the important agendas that was discussed is the preparation for Republic of Indonesia’s President participation in the upcoming BRICS Summit. This meeting provided a platform for productive discussions, with both sides hoping to sign agreements on beef and soybean imports.
Indonesia currently imports beef worth more than USD 1 billion and soybeans worth more than USD 2 billion annually. As a first step, Indonesia is exploring the possibility of importing 50,000 head of cattle and 300,000 tons of soybeans from South Africa, with the aim of strengthening and expanding bilateral trade in the agricultural sector. During this visit, discussions were also held between Pertamina and South African business partners regarding the opportunity of supplying electricity to South Africa using gas from Indonesia's contracts in Mozambique. Furthermore, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment has been closely collaborating with prominent Pan-African entrepreneur Mr. Robert Gumede from GUMA GROUP to enhance business relations between Indonesian SOEs, Indonesian companies in South Africa, and other African countries where Guma Group operates. One important joint project involves critical mineral mining for electric vehicles (EVs), B2B trade, energy security, oil and gas, and climate change. The visit to South Africa by Minister Luhut and the delegation was not merely a working visit, but more than that, it held symbolic significance, reflecting the spirit of the Bandung Conference in 1955, which contributed to the decolonization of South Africa.
