Deputy Minister Kenny Morolong: Global South African Fireside chat and Networking Dinner

Programme Director, 
Charge de affairs at the South African High Commission, 
Delegation led by the Deputy Minister from GCIS and Brand SA,
Distinguished Guests, 
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, 
Leaders of business, 
Fellow South Africans and Kenyan friends, 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening.

It is truly a privilege to gather here today among fellow South Africans and our Kenyan partners in a country that holds a special place in the story of South Africa’s freedom and Africa’s collective progress.

Allow me to begin with a simple truth: the relationship between Kenya and South Africa was not born in boardrooms or trade agreements, it was forged in the fires of history.

Long before the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1994, Kenya stood firmly on the side of justice and freedom for the people of South Africa.

When the struggle against apartheid demanded international solidarity, Kenya answered that call.

Kenyan leaders, institutions, and ordinary citizens extended moral, diplomatic, and political support to South Africa’s liberation movement.

Indeed, Kenya’s founding President, Jomo Kenyatta, once reminded the world that Africa’s freedom would remain incomplete until South Africa was free.

That principle of African solidarity reminds us of an important lesson:

The destiny of Africa has never belonged to one nation alone, it has always been shared.

And today, that shared destiny continues to guide the partnership between South Africa and Kenya.

Both our countries occupy important positions on the African continent.

Kenya stands as the economic and logistical gateway to East Africa. South Africa anchors economic activity in Southern Africa.

Together, we are not just participants in Africa’s development story, we are co-authors of it.

In continental platforms such as the African Union, our nations have consistently worked together to advance peace, democratic governance, and economic integration.

We share a commitment to the idea that African challenges deserve African solutions, and African opportunities deserve African partnerships.

This political alignment provides the foundation upon which our economic relationship continues to grow.

Today, the relationship between our two nations is visible not only in diplomatic engagements, but also in boardrooms, factories, financial institutions, and technology platforms across Kenya.

South African companies have increasingly chosen Kenya as a strategic base for operations in East Africa.

Among them are globally recognized South African brands such as:

• Standard Bank Group through Stanbic Bank Kenya
• Absa Group
• Old Mutual
• Sanlam
• MultiChoice Group
• Vodacom through its strategic investment in Safaricom
• Woolworths Holdings
• Nedbank Group

These companies represent more than corporate presence.

They represent confidence in Kenya’s future, belief in Africa’s markets, and commitment to shared prosperity.

They create jobs, transfer skills, support entrepreneurship, and help connect African economies in ways that strengthen the continent as a whole.

South Africa exports approximately US$660 million worth of goods to Kenya annually, making Kenya one of South Africa’s most important trading partners in East Africa.

Key South African exports include: Vehicles and automotive components, Iron and steel products, Machinery and industrial equipment, Electrical and electronic goods, Chemicals and pharmaceuticals; and Mineral fuels and processed food products.

Kenya, in turn, exports approximately US$50 million worth of goods to South Africa, including precious stones and metals, Tea, coffee, and spices, Fresh vegetables and horticultural products, Cut flowers, Agricultural products and selected machinery components.

These trade flows highlight the complementary strengths of our economies.

South Africa brings industrial capacity and manufacturing expertise, while Kenya contributes agricultural excellence, logistics networks, and one of Africa’s most dynamic digital innovation ecosystems.

But the truth is this:

What we trade today represents only a fraction of what we could achieve tomorrow.

This is precisely why the African Continental Free Trade Area is such a transformative project for the continent.

AfCFTA creates a single African market of more than 1.3 billion people, making it the largest free-trade area in the world by number of participating countries.

And yet, despite Africa’s vast potential, intra-African trade currently accounts for only about 15–18 percent of the continent’s total trade.

Compare that with Europe, where regional trade exceeds 60 percent.

This gap represents not a weakness, but an extraordinary opportunity.

AfCFTA seeks to unlock that opportunity by, reducing tariffs across the continent, removing non-tariff barriers, promoting regional value chains, supporting industrialization, encouraging African countries to trade more with each other rather than exporting raw materials to distant markets.

For Kenya and South Africa, this agreement is more than a trade framework.

It is a continental development strategy.

It allows South African manufacturing to integrate with East African supply chains.

It enables Kenyan innovation and logistics to reach Southern African markets.

It turns borders that once divided markets into bridges that connect opportunity.

This is also where the work of Brand South Africa becomes so important.

Nation branding is about more than reputation, it is about identity, credibility, and shared narrative.

South Africa’s national brand is built on resilience, diversity, innovation, and democratic progress.

Kenya’s national brand reflects entrepreneurship, technological leadership, creativity, and regional connectivity.

When these two national brands align, they amplify each other.

They send a message to investors, entrepreneurs, and young Africans across the continent that Africa is open for partnership, innovation, and growth.

And perhaps more importantly, they help Africa tell its own story, confidently, authentically, and on its own terms.

To the global South Africans gathered here today:

You are more than citizens abroad. You are ambassadors of South Africa’s spirit.

You are bridge builders between markets, cultures, and opportunities.

You represent the ingenuity, resilience, and diversity that defines South Africa.

And in cities like Nairobi, where African innovation and entrepreneurship are thriving, your role becomes even more important.

Because every partnership you build, every investment you make, and every collaboration you foster strengthens not only South Africa, but Africa as a whole.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The relationship between Kenya and South Africa tells a powerful story.

A story of solidarity in the struggle for freedom. A story of partnership in diplomacy.

A story of collaboration in business and trade. And now, a story of shared leadership in building Africa’s economic future.

From the vision of leaders like Jomo Kenyatta to the democratic legacy of Nelson Mandela, our nations have always believed in one fundamental truth:

Africa rises when Africans work together.

So let us deepen our partnerships. Let us expand trade.

Let us unlock the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

And let us continue building an African future defined not by limitations, but by possibility.

Because when Kenya and South Africa walk together.

Africa does not merely move forward Africa leads.

Thank you.

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