- 30 key trade counsellor posts have been vacant since December 2023.
- The Department of Trade delayed appointments for over two years despite economic challenges.
- The DA urges Minister Parks Tau to finalise the review process and urgently appoint qualified officials.
The DA can reveal that 30 trade counsellor posts at South African embassies and missions abroad have remained vacant since December 2023, dealing yet another blow to our economy and the vital trade relationships needed to drive growth and job creation.
The primary role of trade counsellors is to facilitate and promote trade, acting as a link between governments and the private sector, especially for investors.
I urge Minister Parks Tau to finalise the review process and urgently appoint qualified officials. These roles must be filled by individuals who understand South Africa’s economic landscape, can identify opportunities, and have proven experience in market development and attracting investment, whether from the public or private sector.
This issue came to light in response to a written parliamentary question, in which Minister Tau admitted that for over two years, South Africa has lacked Foreign Economic Representatives (FERs) in some of our most critical trading partner countries. These include China, the USA, the UK, India, Germany, France, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.
“The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) is responsible for the overall management of 45 trade offices across the globe, tasked with stimulating global demand for South Africa’s manufactured goods and services and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into South Africa” the answer reads. The FERs were withdrawn in December 2023 since when “the department has been going through a review of the approach to the FERs and the footprint of markets where they will be deployed.”
It is unconscionable that at a time when our second most important trading partner, the USA, is imposing higher tariffs on South African exports, the DTIC is failing to fulfil its critical mandate of stimulating trade and foreign direct investment by not filling these vacancies.
A recent report by Codera Analytics shows that South Africa has experienced a decline in the technology intensity of our exports over time, indicating a continuing reliance on un-processed raw materials with little value-added. At a time of growing economic uncertainty and faltering growth, it is essential that our trade missions seek out export opportunities for high value goods and services that can feed into South Africa’s drive to improve our global competitiveness.
What sense of urgency does the department have when 28 months have passed without these positions being filled?