By In an ambitious push to expand export markets and pull foreign direct investment (FDI) into high-growth domestic industries, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, John Steenhuisen, has launched an 11-day working visit to Czechia, Poland, and Germany.
Running from 31 August to 10 September 2026, the diplomatic trade mission underscores Pretoria’s strategic intent to diversify its economic footprint and solidify key industrial alliances across Central and Western Europe.
Unlocking Central European Synergies
The mission opens in Prague, where Steenhuisen is chairing the 6th session of the South Africa-Czechia Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation (JCEC). Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$1.1 billion in 2025, solidifying Czechia as South Africa’s 9th largest trading partner in the European Union.
Czech businesses currently maintain growing footprints in South Africa across renewable energy, electronic components, boat building, and hospitality. In turn, South African firms hold strategic investments in Czech paper, packaging, IT services, and transportation.
Steenhuisen’s engagements in Prague target value-added sector growth—seeking investment in electric vehicles (EVs), critical mineral beneficiation, defence, rail, and advanced manufacturing, while advancing discussions under the Southern African Development Community-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC-EU EPA).
From Czechia, the delegation moves to Warsaw to convene the inaugural session of the South Africa-Poland JCEC alongside Polish Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Michał Baranowski.
Poland has emerged as a key European market for South Africa, with bilateral trade swelling 7% from US$1.5 billion in 2024 to US$1.6 billion in 2025 (making Poland SA’s 7th largest EU trade partner). High-level roundtables will aim to lure Polish FDI into green manufacturing, robotics, industrial automation, and automotive manufacturing.
Key European Bilateral Trade Snapshot (2025)
| Country | EU Rank (for SA Trade) | Total Trade Volume (2025) | YoY Trade Growth | Key Targeted Sectors for Collaboration |
| Germany | #1 | US$ 16.5 Billion | +14% | Automotive, Green Energy, Industrial SMEs, Eco-Parks |
| Poland | #7 | US$ 1.6 Billion | +7% | Green Manufacturing, Robotics, Auto, Mineral Processing |
| Czechia | #9 | US$ 1.1 Billion | — | EVs, Critical Minerals, Defense, Renewable Energy |
Consolidating Ties with Germany, Europe’s Industrial Anchor
The final leg of the tour takes Steenhuisen to Munich and Frankfurt, targeting South Africa’s premier European economic partner. Germany stands as South Africa’s third-largest trading partner globally (behind China and the United States) and its largest within the EU. Bilateral trade jumped nearly 14% to US$16.5 billion in 2025, up from US$14.3 billion in 2024.
The German itinerary features high-stakes meetings with top industrial players—including BMW and Siemens—alongside engagements with the Bavarian State Ministry and the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce. Steenhuisen will also visit South African exporters featured at the Automechanika exhibition.
Beyond direct trade, the visit consolidates joint development initiatives such as the Global Eco Industrial Parks Partnership (GEIPP) and SME exchange frameworks aimed at boosting South Africa’s global industrial competitiveness.
Economic Outlook
Steenhuisen’s European tour comes at a pivotal juncture as South Africa works to transition from an exporter of raw commodities to a hub for beneficiated goods and green technologies. By deepening trade alignment across both established partners like Germany and fast-growing Central European markets like Poland and Czechia, the dtic is laying essential groundwork for sustained industrial capital inflows and long-term export resilience.
