South Africa lauds Huawei investment

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19 October 2010

Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has welcomed Chinese mobile technology company Huawei’s investment in South Africa, encouraging the company to use it as a platform for expansion on the African continent.

 

The company currently co-operates with South African telecommunications companies MTN, Vodacom and Neotel, offering a range of services that contribute to mobile accessibility in the country.

 

Dlamini-Zuma was speaking in Shanghai, China on Sunday after she and Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Paul Mashatile held discussions with the senior vice president of Huawei Technology, Junfeng Guo.

 

The discussions were held ahead of the minister’s keynote address at the official closing of the South African Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo on Monday.

 

Dlamini-Zuma said the discussions, also attended by South Africa’s ambassador to China and consul-general to Shanghai, looked at the impact Huawei was making on the mobile phone and wireless market in South Africa and the world in general.

 

“Huawei Technology has established one of its few research and development facilities in South Africa, through which South Africans are able to access employment opportunities in addition to benefiting from skills development programmes,” the minister said in a statement.

 

“Government welcomes the company’s investment in South Africa, including foreign direct investment, as well as the company’s contribution to the country’s human capital.

 

“We also encourage Huawei Technology to use South Africa as a gateway to access the region and indeed the continent.”

 

Sapa