Draft remarks by Madam Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee at the "Conference on the Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion between Viet Nam – South Africa 2024 "

Draft remarks by

Madam Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Permanent Deputy Secretary ofthe Ha Noi Party Committee at the "Conference on the  Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion
between Viet Nam – South Africa 2024 "

(10:00 AM, October 29, 2024, Johannesburg, SouthAfrica)

H.E.Hoàng Sỹ Cường - Ambassador of Viet Nam to South Africa,

Mr. Mtho Xulu, President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry,

Distinguished guests,

Today, I am truly delighted to attend the"Conference on the Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion between Viet Nam – South Africa 2024 " under the theme “Ha Noi: A Destination of Opportunities and Potential for Cooperation.” On behalf of the leadership of Ha Noi, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to all distinguished guests present here today.

Distinguished guests,

On November 22, 1993, Viet Nam and South Africa formally established diplomatic relations. Despite geographical separation, the two countries, anchored by close historical bonds, have nurtured a profound and traditional friendship over the past three decades, yielding substantial and ever-more effective cooperation across multiple domains. Viet Nam holds this relationship in high regard, recognizing South Africa as a primary partner within Africa. Bilateral ties have flourished,especially in the realms of economy, trade, and technology. Today, South Africa stands as Viet Nam's largest trade partner and export market on the continent,with an average annual trade turnover of USD 1.2 billion in recent years. Both countries envision broader collaboration opportunities spanning trade, tourism,cultural exchange, arts, and education.

Distinguished Guests,

Ha Noi, the capital of Viet Nam, stands as the nation's political, administrative, cultural, scientific, educational, and economic hub, fueling growth across the Red River Delta and beyond. In recent years, the city has achieved significant progress in socio-economic development and attracted robust foreign investment. In the first nine months of 2024, Ha Noi's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) increased by 6.12% compared to the previous year. Total budget revenue reached VND 376 trillion, meeting 92.1% of the year’s target and reflecting a 22.2% rise year-on-year. Of this, domestic revenue exceeded VND 354 trillion, accounting for 93.5% of total revenue and rising by 23%, while revenue from e-commerce reached VND 28.7 trillion, an increase of VND 8.6 trillion, or 42%, from 2023. Retail sales and service revenue grew by 10.5%, while foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows surpassed USD 1.5 billion. The total two-way trade turnover reached USD 14.44 billion, up 16.8%. Moreover, tourist arrivals to Ha Noi totaled 4.561 million, with 3.156 million international visitors, marking a remarkable 41.5% growth from the previous year.

On September 9, 2024, Ha Noi was honored with three prestigious awards at the 31st World Travel Awards for Asia and Oceania: Asia's Leading City Destination, Asia's Leading Short Break Destination, and Vietnam’s Leading Cultural Destination. These accolades reaffirm Ha Noi’s status as a “safe, attractive, and friendly” destination for businesses, investors, and tourists alike.

Distinguished Guests,

Ha Noi has consistently valued regarded South Africa as a key partner in Africa. Over the years, the cooperative relationship between Ha Noi and various South African cities and regions has been continuously strengthened and nurtured. In May 2007, Ha Noi and Tshwane (also known as Pretoria) signed a Friendship and Cooperation Agreement to foster collaboration across sectors such as economics, investment, trade, tourism,culture, sports, and human resource development. Since 2015, Ha Noi has maintained regular delegation exchanges with localities like Cape Town,Tshwane, and Johannesburg, while also welcoming delegations from Northern Cape Province to Ha Noi.

Despite the positive results achieved so far, there remains vast potential to further enhance cooperation in investment,trade, and tourism between Ha Noi and its South African partners. In terms of investment, South Africa’s FDI in Ha Noi stands at approximately USD 0.806 million. Regarding trade, Ha Noi’s export turnover to South Africa in 2023 reached USD 23.4 million, accounting for 0.14% of the city’s total exports. In the first nine months of 2024, this figure was USD 18.8 million. On the import side, Ha Noi’s imports from South Africa amounted to USD 116.9 million in 2023,representing 0.3% of the city’s total imports, and this figure has grown to USD 487.4 million in the first nine months of 2024, constituting 1.6% of Ha Noi’s imports. As for tourism, since Viet Nam reopened its international borders on March 15, 2022, the number of South African visitors to Ha Noi has steadily increased. In 2023, South Africa sent 7,047 tourists to Ha Noi, a 2.3-fold rise from 2022. In the first ten months of 2024, the number grew to 8,360, an impressive 67.3% increase year-on-year.

Distinguished Guests,

To foster cooperation across multiple sectors, particularly in economic development, between Ha Noi and its South African partners, Ha Noi is honored to co-host today’s “Conference on Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion between Viet Nam – South Africa 2024” here in Johannesburg, alongside the Embassy of Viet Nam in South Africa and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We hope this event will further showcase Ha Noi as a safe, efficient, and inviting destination for investment,while strengthening connections and encouraging collaborative efforts in investment, trade, and tourism between Ha Noi and South Africa. Ha Noi stands ready to provide optimal conditions for South African businesses and investors interested in engaging in our city. We warmly welcome you to explore Ha Noi—The City for Peace, The Creative City, and a destination that is “safe,captivating, friendly, and hospitable.”

On behalf of the leadership of Ha Noi, I now declare the official opening of the “The Conference on the Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion between Viet Nam – South Africa 2024” under the theme “Ha Noi: A Destination of Opportunities and Potential for Cooperation.”

May I wish you all good health, happiness,and great success.

Thank you very much!

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