Netherlands keen to invest in SA, says ambassador

The Netherlands ambassador to South African, Hans Peters, has expressed enthusiasm about the future of South Africa’s sustainable growth and identified it as an area his country was very interested in investing in.

The envoy also highlighted renewable energy as a sector to look at as an avenue with great potential and opportunities for the required growth with its employment creation.

Peters, who is on a second posting to South African after he first came to the country in the early 1990s, told The Citizen that economic growth was critical for job creation.

“I think one of the best contributions we can make to South Africa is in investing in sustainable economic growth.

“Jobs are urgently needed and we believe that through trade and investment we can create jobs and livelihoods both in South Africa and in the Netherlands,” said Peters.

Many Dutch companies are represented in South Africa, including oil giant Shell.

The two-way trade between South Africa and the Netherlands is estimated at R60-billion annually.

Interestingly, the Netherlands is the biggest importer of South African citrus fruits with almost 70% of what is exported going to the port of Rotterdam.

Peters said the two countries had a lot in common when it came to human rights, respect for the rule of law and the importance of multi-lateralism.

“Where we can, our countries work together to foster peace and stability in the world. We prefer cooperation over conflict and dialogue over unilateralism,” he said.

Climate change was a significant element that both nations could focus on.

“We need to work together. The Netherlands stands ready to work with South Africa on challenges like the energy transition, such as how to create more opportunities for renewable energy,” Peters said.

The Netherlands is among European countries that supported the black liberation struggle and the democratic transition during the Nelson Mandela rule.

“It is our history that makes the bond between our two countries special. On the one hand, the Netherlands is known as one of the countries that supported the struggle against apartheid.

“On the other hand, as Jan van Riebeeck came from the Netherlands, we are seen by some as the first coloniser.

“The discussions that we organise around this theme are frank and sometimes emotional. But I believe that this is the only way to come to terms with the past,” Peters said.

Recently, the Netherlands delivered 130,879 vials of glucose-lactalbumin-yeast (GLY) to South Africa.

GLY is a virus transportation medium for human samples used in testing and diagnosing the Covid-19 virus.

The gesture was in response to a request for assistance made by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Dr Naledi Pandor to Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok.

It emanated from discussion between the two ministers in which they exchanged their governments’ experiences in responding to the crisis and identified areas of additional cooperation and international assistance.

Peters cherished both his posting to South Africa, describing them as “exciting”. He first arrived in the country in the early 90s, a few weeks before Mandela’s release.

“It is wonderful to be back in SA since 2018 as ambassador. So much has changed but also so much is the same,” he said.

Asked about plans for the future economic activities between the two countries, Peters said: “We always look for more interventions where we can support each other.”

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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