Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation

A non-profit organization (NPO) registered in 2015. The prime objective of the organization is to strengthen business relation and increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and Southern Africa and to create a healthy business relation among Pakistani and local business communities.

Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation is not a charity organization as we focus our effort towards providing business growth and sustainability by offering the platform for business support to the Pakistani business community and South African as a whole.

The Vision of the Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation (PSATF) is to establish and increase bilateral trade between Southern Africa and Pakistan and provide a platform for businesses to benefit by collaborating, co-operating and supporting each other.

Pakistan is large trading economy with imports of USD 53.06 billion while exports of USD 20.45 billion. Many reforms and programs are underway to bolster and increase exports of the country. South Africa is also a large trading economy with imports worth USD79.8 billion while exports worth USD79.6 billion during 2016. South Africa is a large consumer market with a population of over 55 million.

Despite such large volume and value of imports and exports, the bilateral trade of Pakistan and South Africa stands at only USD 653 million per annum. This shows that Pakistan and South Africa are not trading as per potential and size of their economies. Interestingly, this trade of USD 653 million is also concentrated in a few goods from both sides. South Africa major export to Pakistan is coal which accounts for over 75% of its exports to Pakistan. This is followed by Iron & Steel at around 18%, Chemicals at around 5% and vehicles at around 2%.

Pakistan exports to South Africa are Rice, Surgical goods, Sports goods, Textile products, Leather and Leather products and Carpets. Only Textiles which accounts for around 60% of its exports to South Africa. It is followed by leather at around 10%, rice and other cereals at around 10%.

This year Pakistan and South Africa signed a defense deal that will entail increased military cooperation between the two countries. The agreement signed by the two countries includes the purchase of military equipment, training of armed forces, and enhanced defense cooperation overseen by a bilateral defense committee.

Pakistan and South Africa can also cooperate in the field of services like IT, Banking and Financial Services, Government Services, Tourism, Health and paramedical, academics and sports. Pakistan has a large pool of skilled and semi-skilled work force which can benefit the South Africa economy in terms of increased output and training to the local work force.

SADC has been one of the fastest growing regional economic communities in Africa. The region has an opportunity to increase its economic growth and investing in infrastructure. The added advantage for Pakistan to export goods to South Africa is that it is the gateway to over 15 other African countries which have huge reliance of the goods flowing into those economies from South Africa. Similarly, South Africa can take advantage of large market of 200 million consumers by exporting to Pakistan. Pakistan has immense economic potential. The government efforts to improve Pakistan’s business climate to attract higher investment inflows have been underpinned by the National Doing Business Reform Strategy, and because of the successful implementation of key short-term reform measures the country has been recognized as one of the top ten reformers globally in the area of business regulation. Pakistan attracted FDI of around USD 2 billion in 2016-17, besides the China Pakistan Economic Corridor related investment.

In this era of growing global trade under FTAs and PTAs, it is high time for Pakistan and South Africa to benefit from entering into a Free Trade Agreement for the mutual benefit of both the regions which will not only remove the bottlenecks faced on both the sides but will give rise to exponential rise in bilateral trade between Pakistan and South Africa leading to growth and prosperity for both the economies.

We Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation encourage the businessman and to ensure our highest consideration to move our community, country and economy forward.

(PSATF)-REGISTERED NPO-147-774

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

To promote & increase bilateral trade between Pakistan & South Africa and other Southern African countries by helping the business communities of both countries and introducing them to each other.

To hold a single country exhibition to introduce Pakistani companies to South African people.

To transfer regular and more frequent trade delegations between the two countries. (It’s an honor for us that in last 2 & half years we have hosted 20 business delegations who visited South Africa from Pakistan with the help of Pakistan
High Commission & Trade Commission of Pakistan)

To act as a bridge between businessmen & government departments like DTI & Home Affairs.
To set up a Pakistani Trade & Community Centre in South Africa.

To give back to local community, setting up a vocational and technical training center.

To set up a Health Care Centre for less privileged people of the community.