Posted on August 08, 2011
Japan has assured that its investments in Africa would continue despite the crippling natural disasters it experienced in March, Toshiro Ozawa, Japanese ambassador to SA said on Thursday night.
Japan suffered an earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which significantly affected its economy and hit the export sector.
Ozawa addressed a Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) seminar on the role of Japan and SA in promoting growth in Africa.
"The natural disasters we've had do not change Japan's commitment to Africa," Ozawa said.
"There is opportunity for growth in Africa and there's a need for Japan to assist in the infrastructure development of Africa," Ozawa said, after identifying lack of infrastructure as one of the challenges to investing in Africa.
The continent's countries also had to grow trade with one another in order to improve growth, Ozawa said.
SA would possibly lose its "gateway to Africa advantage" if it did not address policy uncertainty, warned Mike Spicer, Business Leadership SA CEO.
He said other countries were lining up to be the gateway for investments into Africa, including East African countries particularly Kenya, Mauritius, and Nigeria.
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