Johannesburg - Known for its strong cricket and tourism cultures, Pakistan, one of the biggest and most populous South Asian countries, continues to rebuild itself away from strife and political turmoil.
On Wednesday, the country hosted its 3rd Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre.
This is where scores of South African business people, individuals and other stakeholders paid a visit to the more than 100 exhibition stalls from 16 sectors of Pakistani businesses.
Representing the SADC region, South Africa became the third country to host the annual Pak Africa Development Conference following the successes in Kenya and Nigeria in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
With Africa said to be the second largest continent in the world with 54 sovereign states, Africa represents a collective $2.20 trillion in GDP, making the continent an attractive business and trade partner for the South Asian country known for its great textile and pharmaceutical industries.
Speaking to The Star in an exclusive interview, Federal Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar remarked that Pakistan was ready to trade and develop stronger ties with the people of South Africa, adding that both countries were set to greatly benefit following the hosting of the conference, which wraps up its programme on December 1.
“We remain one of the most business-friendly destinations in Asia, as it takes less than 15 days to set up a business in Pakistan. This makes our ease of doing business one of the best in the world,” Qamar told The Star.
When it comes to training opportunities, the minister said some of the country’s training institutions and universities offered a range of training opportunities that can be explored by South Africans wishing to study in Pakistan.
One of the young people who spoke fondly about the business acumen of Pakistani nationals is Pretoria-based entrepreneur Lunga Thamsanqa, who said that having worked with Pakistani nationals in the country, he had learnt a lot about setting up a business from scratch.
“I have had the opportunity of working with Pakistani nationals in the country during the xenophobia riots in 2012. I helped write a policy on xenophobia, and it is then that my relationship with Pakistan started. I have plans to visit Pakistan, and the plans are taking shape, which is why I am here. I knew about this exhibition through some of the contacts I have there, which is why I am here to see for myself how they conduct business,” Thamsanqa said.
Thamsanqa, who runs a furniture manufacturing and assembly business, Lunga Ekhaya, which he kick-started with the help of some of his Pakistani friends, told The Star that he had seen nothing but the best of Pakistani nationals whose passion for business inspired him to venture into his very own business.
“I am proud to say that through the help and friendship I have with some of the Pakistani nationals, I have managed to start my own business, which has been operational since 2019. The business has been doing well, especially in 2020 and 2021. However, this year things have been a bit shaky,” he said.
The Star