Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa from the 7-11 July, with the aim of deepening cooperation in the areas of hydrocarbons, maritime security, trade and investment, and agriculture and food. The tour comes within weeks of Vice President Hamid Ansari and President Pranab Mukherjee travelling to the continent, covering Tunisia and Morocco, and Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and Namibia respectively.
Beginning in Mozambique, the Prime Minister is to have bilateral discussions with President Filipe Nyusi, and is expected to secure a memorandum of understanding on food security between the countries, principally concerning the long-term procurement of pulses, starting with a procurement of 100,000 tonnes. Mozambique additionally receives nearly a quarter of roughly $8 billion worth of Indian investment in Africa, and bilateral trade has jumped fivefold in the last five years. Energy is another item on the agenda, as Mozambique is the world’s third largest exporter of natural gas after Qatar and Australia.
The 8th and 9th of July will be spent in South Africa, as Modi will pass first through Johannesburg and Pretoria, addressing a large business meeting in each city alongside South African President Jacob Zuma. Over 150 Indian companies have invested in the country, totalling around $3 billion, and India is South Africa’s 6th largest trade partner. On the way to Durban, Modi will visit Mahatma Gandhi’s Phoenix Ashram, and will recreate the historic train journey to Pietermaritz, in which Gandhi was expelled from the train on account of his race.
Moving on to Tanzania and Kenya on the 10th and 11th July respectively, bilateral discussions with President Magufuli and President Kenyatta will cover similar trade and investment concerns, indeed all four countries are seen to serve as a gateway to trade with landlocked African countries.
Furthermore, Modi will address the Indian diaspora in each country, in particular holding two large rallies, the first in Johannesburg on July 8th, and the second in Nairobi on July 10th.
Read more on the government’s recent India-Africa focus:
https://www.gatewayhouse.in/new-trajectory-for-india-africa-ties/