Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has emphasized the importance for South Africa to entrench and deepen its global presence amid growing geo-political tensions. The minister impressed upon delegates at the Gauteng Investment Conference the importance of leveraging on the opportunities presented by the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the country’s G20 presidency. Tau notes that as the largest contributor to the country’s GDP, the province is well placed to support a growth strategy through decarbonization, diversification and digitization. “As the DTIC, we are making a call for the Gauteng province to provide leadership in unlocking the opportunities provided by the AfCFTA, utilising these economic hubs. We have repeatedly mentioned the numbers. Gauteng in particular is a leading hub and a gateway for a market of 1-billion people in Africa. This opportunity can only be fully leveraged by building internal resilience.” VIDEO | Tau responds to US tariffs