Dubai Chamber of Commerce organizes 674 bilateral business meetings in South Africa to enhance trade relations
Johannesburg, 5 June / WAM / The Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, organized 674 bilateral business meetings between companies from Dubai and their counterparts in the cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, during the trade mission led by the Chamber within the framework of the “New Horizons for Foreign Expansion” initiative, aimed at supporting the expansion of local companies towards promising global markets and strengthening their international partnerships.
Representatives of 24 companies operating in Dubai participated in the trade mission’s activities in various sectors, including construction, building materials and engineering, in addition to electronics, environmental solutions, fast-moving consumer goods, food and beverages, healthcare, information technology, communications and innovation, in addition to retail trade, manufacturing and investments.
As part of the mission’s activities, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce organized the “Dubai – South Africa Business Forum”, in cooperation with the UAE Embassy, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition of the Republic of South Africa, and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry. And the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where the forum attracted 520 participants, including a group of senior officials, business leaders and representatives of local companies interested in exploring opportunities for partnership and cooperation between the two parties.
The forum witnessed welcome speeches by Salem Al Shamsi, Executive Vice President of International Relations at Dubai Chambers, and Mtho Kzulu, President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in addition to an introductory presentation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition in the Republic of South Africa.
Salem Al Shamsi said: “The rapid growth in the volume of trade exchange between Dubai and South Africa reflects the depth of the growing economic partnership and confirms the strength of the ties between the two sides. Based on our keenness to build on this positive momentum, we continue to work to expand the horizons of joint cooperation and create qualitative opportunities that support the expansion of companies and enhance trade and investment flows.”
He added: “This mission represents an important platform for opening new channels of dialogue and communication, and enabling companies operating in Dubai to explore the promising opportunities that the South African market abounds, as it is a strategic gateway to the markets of the African continent in general.”
The value of non-oil trade between Dubai and South Africa reached 29.2 billion dirhams during the year 2025, recording a remarkable growth of more than 265% over the past ten years, compared to 8 billion dirhams in 2016.
This growth was also reflected in the growing presence of South African companies within the Dubai business community, as 45 new South African companies joined the Chamber’s membership during the first quarter of this year, bringing the total number of active South African companies registered in the Dubai Chamber of Commerce membership by the end of the first quarter of 2026 to 873 companies.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter
