Sam Modiba, metro spokesperson, said the meeting, which was attended by politicians and officials from both cities, considered friendly cooperations, and the possibility of a sister city relationship between the two.
Speaking at the meeting, Gungubele made it clear that Ekurhuleni will waste no time in fostering ties with any city in the world that can add value to the success of the economy of the city, job creation and poverty alleviation.
“We are the first Aerotropolis in Africa, and the manufacturing hub of the country, and therefore, strategic partners are key if we are to continue excelling in these areas of focus,” said Gungubele.
“The fact that we own most of the land parcels available for development in our region, and the flexibility in of our policies in processing development applications, makes Ekurhuleni very easy picking for investors,” he added.
“To attract the best investors in the world, you need to be on top of your game.
“You need to give them every reason to see value in investing in your city, and that is what we are offering.
“Ekurhuleni is hoping to attract investors from all over the world because we know they will not regret it,” said Gungubele.
Modiba said that China is also a major player on solar power having already installed 11GW of solar power in recent years.
“Most of this energy is used for street lights and communication,” added Modiba.
“The country also plans to increase this rapidly over the next few years.”
“We came to the city to talk to you about the possibility to starting trade relations with your city,” said Qingjun, Hefei mayor.
“One of the main reasons for this of course, are the similarities between the two municipalities.
“Similar to Ekurhuleni, Hefei is in the middle of the city and is the major transportation hub in China, with major highways, waterways and railway network criss-crossing city,” he explained.
“The airway in the city is well-developed as well. With a new airport being concluded, we aim to make a major cargo hub in the country.
“We also expect to attract a major airport-related industry.”
