The meeting, which was attended by politicians and officials from both cities, also considered friendly co-operation 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,” he explained.
The fact that we own most of the land parcels available for development in our region, and the flexibility in our policies in processing development applications, makes Ekurhuleni very easy picking for investors.
“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.”
Hefei is the capital of the Anhui province, in East China. It has a population of over 7.5 million people and is an industrial city, with its production contributing 58 per cent to the country’s GDP.
The city is also home to electronic manufacturing, such a TVs, fridges and air conditioning. It is also very strong on the solar system front.
“We came to the city to talk to you about the possibility to starting trade relations with your city,” said Qingjun.
“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 networks criss-crossing city.
“The airway in the city is well developed, as well.”
Zhang explained that Hefei has a two-fold investment strategy, with the first focusing on infrastructure, and the other on industrial and modern services.
After listening to the visitors, Gungubele said the ball was now in the hands of the technocrats from both cities to take the process forward and determine how best the two can do business and exchange skills and best practice ideas.
