Egypt and South Africa have pledged to strengthen their collaboration to advance regional development, especially in Africa, as stated in a release following a meeting between Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Enoch Godongwana, South Africa’s Minister of Finance and NDB Governor.
Al-Mashat expressed Egypt’s dedication to enhancing cooperation with South Africa to foster regional development.
The meeting occurred during the 9th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Development Bank (NDB) in Cape Town, South Africa, from August 28 to 31, 2024, with the theme “Investing in a Sustainable Future.”
The statement underscored the significance of ongoing collaboration to represent the priorities of developing nations, particularly in Africa, given the regional importance of both countries, and stressed the need to strengthen connections to advance shared interests.
According to Daily news Al-Mashat also reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to integration with Global South nations, particularly African countries, highlighting that countries with similar economic and social circumstances are better positioned to enhance cooperation by exchanging successful policies and practices.
The Minister referenced Egypt’s introduction of its South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) initiative in May 2023, underscoring the country’s commitment to taking a more active role in facilitating knowledge exchange among Global South nations.
She mentioned the Ministry’s collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in relaunching the South-South Development Academy in Egypt, the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, as part of the Global South-South Development Academy network.
Furthermore, she highlighted Egypt’s organization of knowledge exchange workshops in Cairo, bringing together African officials to share best practices in areas such as integrating climate adaptation in development cooperation policies and enhancing private sector engagement.
These initiatives were carried out in collaboration with strategic development partners, including the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Islamic Development Bank, and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).
During the meeting, Al-Mashat also discussed the Ministry’s partnership with the World Food Program (WFP) in hosting a special mission from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in June 2024, aiming to promote Egypt’s successful practices in advancing digital education.
She stressed that this visit aligned with Egypt’s priorities under its chairmanship of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), emphasizing the enhancement of cooperation between African nations in formulating and implementing education strategies.
