From ANA
The handover of a 40 tonne dump-truck to a Russian company at the 7th BRICS summit in Ufa illustrated SA’s ability to do more than simply receive investments, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said Wednesday. “We are not just potential recipients of investments but we can also be investors,” he said.
During the Ufa, Russia, 2015 BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit, Davies discussed the handover of the dump-truck – the product of a partnership between prominent SA equipment company, Bell, and Russian company, Nefaz. The “dump” part of the truck was made in Russia and, at the handover, carried the wording “Made in Russia”. The rest, said Davies, was made in SA, symbolised by the words “Built with Pride in Africa”.
Bell group chief executive Gary Bell was also present at the handover along with his Russian counterpart, Nikolay Pronin. Bell said the six-month partnership between the SA equipment company and Nefaz was “converting all that talking into action”. “For a number of years we have been shipping equipment here but this will see us getting a bigger slice of the Russian market,” he said.
The BRICS Ufa summit, according to Bell, had thus far been a platform for many discussions between the five member states. Russia and SA, through Nefaz and Bell, had taken the next step, taking advantage of opportunities presented by BRICS membership.
“Overall, BRICS provides all of the five nations with opportunities,” said Bell. “It can really add value”. However, there remained areas of concern which needed to be addressed, such as the reduction of trade barriers.
Discussions between heads of states, governments, and respective business communities would continue until Friday, July 10.
