S. African trade party heads for RI

JAKARTA (JP): A 30-member delegation from South Africa is scheduled to arrive here today for a four-day visit to promote trade and investment relations with Indonesia, the South African embassy announced yesterday.

The embassy's third secretary of political affairs, T.P. Kalcic, said yesterday the delegation, led by Western Cape provincial minister C. Nissen and Northern Cape provincial minister G. Akhawaray, would hold a meeting Monday with Indonesian executives to discuss possible joint ventures.

He said the South African delegates had interests in electricity, telecommunications, steel industries, technology development and other sectors.

Indonesia-South Africa trade has boomed since relations between the two countries were reopened two years ago. Two-way trade exceeded US$200 million in 1996, Kalcic said.

He said South African companies were involved in mining and forestry in Indonesia.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia's exports to South Africa increased 261 percent to US$85.6 million (0.24 percent of Indonesia's total exports worth $34.9 billion) in 1995 from US$23.7 million (0.07 percent of its total exports worth $30.4 billion) in 1994. (02)