Strengthening Dubai-South Africa Business Relations: Trade Hits AED 29.2bn

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce has facilitated 674 bilateral meetings between Dubai-based firms and counterparts in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. This initiative, part of the chamber’s efforts to enhance international trade and investment, reflects a strategic move towards growing business relations.

The trade mission fell under the chamber’s ‘New Horizons’ program, designed to enable Dubai companies to forge partnerships in promising global markets.

Representatives from 24 Dubai-based enterprises across diverse sectors, including construction, electronics, FMCG, healthcare, and ICT, participated in this mission.

Accompanying the trade mission was the Dubai–South Africa Business Forum, organized alongside the UAE Embassy in Pretoria and local business organizations, which saw participation from over 520 stakeholders, including government officials and investors.

Key speakers included Salem Al Shamsi, Executive Vice President of International Relations at Dubai Chambers, and Advocate Mtho Xulu of the South African Chamber of Commerce. They shared insights on investment opportunities and economic cooperation prospects.

Al Shamsi emphasized the rapid increase in trade volume as a sign of strengthened economic ties and noted the chamber's commitment to promoting business connections and fostering trade flow between Dubai and South Africa.

Significantly, non-oil trade between the two entities surged to AED 29.2 billion in 2025, a remarkable jump from AED 8 billion in 2016, underlining the vibrant economic landscape.

This growing partnership is evident as well in the Dubai Chamber's membership records, showing 873 active South African firms by Q1 2026, with 45 new registrations in early 2026 alone.

Conclusively, this trade mission underscores Dubai's continuous endeavor to broaden its global trade network and tap into potential growth avenues within African markets.