London and Johannesburg to promote green hydrogen projects

sOn the occasion of the two-day state visit to London of the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, the British government will present the next phase of the so-called infrastructure alliance between the United Kingdom and South Africa.

This phase will support South Africa’s economic growth through structural developments and will allow UK companies greater access to projects worth up to £5,370m (€6,186m) over the next three years, according to a Downing Street statement.

The UK Government will provide new technical assistance to South Africa to help unlock green hydrogen opportunities and increase capacity in this key sector.

South Africa is the second largest economy on the continent and the UK’s largest trading partner in Africa.

Ramaphosa is expected to attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace today, before being received by Sunak at Downing Street, where they will have a bilateral meeting and lunch on Wednesday.

In the statement from Downing Street, Sunak confirmed that “South Africa is already the UK’s largest trading partner on the continent”, ensuring that it has “ambitious plans to invest in turbocharger infrastructure and grow the economy together”.

“I look forward to welcoming President Rambabusa to London this week to discuss how we can deepen the alliance between our two countries and take advantage of mutual opportunities, from trade and tourism to security and defence,” the Conservative Party leader said.

The London government also stressed that the alliance between the two governments in the field of education and skills will also promote joint learning in technical and vocational education, and promote youth employment.

The UK funding will support technical and entrepreneurial skills in key growth sectors such as green technology and electric vehicle production, ensuring that young South Africans benefit from the green transition.