Kadin Strengthens Indonesia–South Africa Economic Ties Across Key Sectors

KBRN, South Sulawesi: The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is ramping up efforts to strengthen business collaboration with South African counterparts, targeting strategic sectors such as industrial development, energy transition, logistics and infrastructure, agriculture, and the digital economy.

Bobby Gafur Umar, Kadin Indonesia’s Deputy Chairman for Investment, Downstream Industry, Energy, and Environment, emphasized that these sectors are central to the partnership and are expected to boost bilateral trade volumes.

Speaking from Luwu Timur, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, he noted that the trade value between Indonesia and South Africa reached USD 1.6 billion in 2024, comprising USD 784 million in Indonesian exports and USD 379 million in imports from South Africa.

“While the figures are still modest, they reflect significant potential for future growth,” Bobby said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

To accelerate this cooperation, Kadin hosted the South Africa–Indonesia Business Forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 21. The event served as a platform for both nations to reaffirm their commitment to building a long-term, inclusive, and sustainable partnership.

“This is a declaration of intent, an affirmation that both countries, as economic powers in the global south, are ready to move forward together toward shared prosperity and inclusive growth,” Bobby added.

Echoing this sentiment, Pahala Mansury, Kadin’s Deputy Chairman for Trade and International Agreements, highlighted the importance of developing resilient supply chains, particularly in the food and manufacturing sectors, as part of national security strategies.

“This is an opportunity for Indonesia and South Africa to jointly build stronger food supply chains to ensure food security for both nations,” Pahala said.

He also pointed out that Indonesia currently operates around 19 Special Economic Zones (SEZs), while South Africa is developing approximately 11 SEZs as production hubs. Collaboration between these zones is seen as a promising avenue to reinforce the industrial ecosystem shared by both countries. ***