Premier Alan Winde leads delegation to United States of America to promote the Western Cape as a trade and investment destination of choice
13 June 2023
Premier Alan Winde is leading a delegation of Western Cape Government (WCG) and Wesgro representatives to the United States of America. The aim of the visit is to further promote the Western Cape as a trade and investment destination of choice. Topping the agenda is to assure the US Government that the province remains committed to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Premier Winde said, “AGOA is very important to us. It is a critical statute that has benefited our province, our country, and region for over a decade. We are fully aware that there are concerns over whether the US Government will retain and renew our membership come 2025. We are demonstrating through a series of meetings in Washington DC that our delegation has held so far that as a province we value the benefits AGOA has brought to our region and country.”
To this end, the delegation met with strategic stakeholders of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In a robust discussion, the officials explained that Washington does not want to sever ties with South Africa by not renewing its AGOA eligibility. However, there are concerns related to security matters but that it is also in the interests of the US to keep growing the potential future benefits the statute aims to foster and create. But it was added that challenges will arise.
South Africa’s AGOA eligibility must be part of an ongoing debate, the Premier and the committee agreed. “If South Africa lost its AGOA eligibility it would be a major setback for the entire economy,” the Premier stressed.