Business News of Monday, 16 August 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2021-08-16
South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Grace Jeanet Mason
• A visa-free agreement between Ghana and South is expected to take effect by December this year
•Grace Mason believes the move when operational will boost bilateral relations, trade and tourism efforts
•Ghana’s exports to South Africa in 2019 recorded a staggering US$1.97 billion in revenue
South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Grace Jeanet Mason has revealed a visa-free travel arrangement between Ghana and South Africa will become operational by December 2021.
Already, Ghana’s exports to South Africa in 2019 recorded a staggering US$1.97 billion in revenue.
Providing further details on the yet to be implemented move, Grace Mason said the agreement when in full force is expected to further boost trade and tourism relations between the two countries.
In an interaction with Asaase Radio monitored by GhanaWeb, the SA High Commissioner said “this will also strengthen not only our bilateral relations but also in terms of boosting our respective economies because this will ensure travel between the people of South Africa and Ghana.”
“…And it will boost our trade and tourism as well, as you know that South Africa has quite a large footprint in terms of business in Ghana. We’ve got over 200 South African companies that are doing business in Ghana currently.”
“So that will also boost both our economies and trade relation… tourism and agriculture as well so those are the memorandum of understanding and relations that we have both strengthened and pursued and implement between our two nations,” she continued.
The process for the visa travel arrangement between Ghana and South Africa commenced in July 2019 following South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit to Ghana.
That same year, South Africa placed Ghana on its prospective seven-country visa free-regime list with an aim to boost relations and trade efforts.