Lord Digby Jones chaired the South Africa/UK bilateral Business session sponsored by the Lord Mayor of London and UK Trade & Investment, where the Guest of Honour was President Zuma of South Africa on a State Visit to the UK. Some 300 UK and South African businessmen and women also attended the event.
Lord Jones observed that 80% of all South African investment in the European Union comes to the UK. South Africa imports more UK goods and services than the rest of sub-Saharan Africa does put-together! That is how important the country is for UK jobs and profits (and therefore taxation revenues).
Stability and growth is what marks out a successful location for inward investment Lord Jones remarked, and in UK Business South Africa has the best of friends.