Former President Lula defends more partnerships between Brazil and South Africa

During a lecture to businessmen on Friday (Nov. 16) in Johannesburg, South Africa, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said more partnerships between the business sectors of Brazil and South Africa were needed. Although this relationship has grown in recent years, Lula believed that both countries have barely begun to explore its potential. Later, Lula met South African President Jacob Zuma.

“It is a shame that there were trade flows of only US$ 3 billion in 2011 between South Africa and Brazil. Especially at a time when the economic crisis strongly affects Europe and the United States,” Lula said. A crisis that is forcing a “new way of thinking and acting” for governments in search of solutions for job creation and sustainable growth. One of these new solutions would be the diversification of business partnerships. “If we wait for Europe and the United States, they will recover their economies sometime, but they will think first about their own problems. We have to think of ours.”

For Lula, South Africa – as Africa’s strongest economy – and Brazil, as the largest economy in South America, can do much to improve the relations between the two continents and assist in the development of neighboring countries with fewer resources. “This integration can not be just talk. There must be concrete actions.”

The former president defended partnerships is the energy sector as one of the main areas for action. Together, both countries could meet the challenges of South Africa and the African continent in power generation, mainly using Brazil’s experience in building hydroelectric power plants and transmission lines. This is also true in agriculture, where tropical agriculture technology and financing of small family farms can help boost agriculture in South Africa.

Lula also defended the need for more meetings between business organizations and universities in the two countries, so that both can learn more about each other. He noted that Brazil can and should try to learn more about the South African experience in the organization of the last World Cup.