South Africa can play a role as the gateway for Indonesia to enter into markets of the African continent as the two economies seek to enhance their diplomatic ties, says an envoy.
South Africa and Indonesia has set to increase economic ties, with both signing a strategic partnership, covering economy, energy and culture, in 2008 during the visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudho
yono to South Africa. The strategic partnership is the first Jakarta has signed with an African country.
South African Ambassador for Indonesia Noel N. Lehoko said economic issues topped the cooperation agenda, followed by politics and the cultural agenda.
“Economic diplomacy is paramount, but also the issue of human rights and people-to-people contacts are very important,” Ambassador Lehoko told The Jakarta Post.
South Africa will celebrate its 16th Freedom Day Tuesday, observing the end of the apartheid system and its first election after the end of white-ruling in 1994.
Lehoko said South Africa could play a role as the gateway for Indonesia to enter the African market because it had better infrastructure than other countries in the region.
As a leading economy in the region and among countries with the oldest relations with African countries, Indonesia has a greater chance of building mutually economic and political ties, Indonesian diplomats said.
In terms of economy, Indonesia lags behind Asian countries of China, India and South Korea, which have poured a large number of investments in African countries.
“The continent offers great opportunity for businesspeople and we are working on promoting the prospects through business forums and many others,” said Albert A. Purba, Foreign Ministry’s deputy director for Central Africa. Bilateral economic relations rested heavily on trading with more trading companies existing in Africa than companies investing money. Bilateral trade between Indonesia and South Africa stood at US$1 billion in 2008 and $830 million in 2009.
Geographical barriers and lack of information to identify how to build economic relations with people from Africa are said to be among causes behind the minimal presence of Indonesian companies.
“Indonesia is looking to develop cooperation in the agricultural and energy sectors for food and energy security,” said S. Sayoga Kadarisman, Foreign Ministry deputy director for southern Africa.
He said those two sectors were also the priority of Jakarta when seeking foreign partnership.
He said Indonesia has seen the importance of enhancing relations with African countries as attested through the strategic partnership it signed with South Africa.
With the rise of Asia’s economies led by China and India, Lehoko said Indonesia’s profile in South African foreign policy was also on the rise.
“We have traditional relations with India, China and Japan, but Indonesia has historically and increasingly became more important since the exchange of visit of our presidents.”
“It has given greater impetus to the relationship, the major of stability and democracy.”
In politics, both Indonesia and South Africa have co-chaired the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP), established in 2005 and consisting of 106 Asian and African countries.
Although the highlight of NAASP cooperation is currently on Palestine capacity building, there have been eight areas of priority that will ensure future cooperation is more comprehensive.
“Both Indonesia and South Africa belong to the G20, Non-Aligned Movement and the 1955 Bandung Asia-Africa conference. There are many chances to form alliances. It needs to be energized through massive regular contact by our leaders,” Lehoko, a medical doctor turned diplomat, said.
Deputy director Purba said the political cooperation between Indonesia and most (sub-Saharan) African countries was proven solid.
“African [Sub-Saharan] countries have always supported Indonesian initiatives in international
forums. It supported us when we sought to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,”
he said.
