Turning declarations into deliverables

BENEATH the glittering chandeliers of the Bank of China building in Johannesburg, Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng addressed a gathering of investors, policymakers, and technocrats.

- AYANDA HOLO

At his side sat South Africa’s Deputy Finance Minister Dr David Masondo, a key architect of the government's economic recovery and structural reform agenda.

The occasion marked the release of the Chinese Investor Survey, a moment that revealed not only the depth of Sino-South African relations but also the lingering bottlenecks that continue to hinder what could be a transformative partnership.

Wu's tone was both celebratory and cautionary. Over 200 Chinese enterprises have injected more than $11 billion into South Africa, creating jobs, taxes, and valuable industrialisation footprints.

Yet, despite this progress, the ambassador pointedly highlighted recurring frustrations: the slow and sometimes opaque processing of work visas for essential engineers and managers, and the heightened security threats to Chinese nationals. These issues, he suggested, could jeopardise investor confidence unless addressed with urgency and sincerity.

At the heart of his speech was a subtle but potent reference to Declaration 42 of the BRICS 2025 Strategy, which states: “We welcome the results of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025 ... and look forward to the conclusion and implementation of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030, which will ... guide cooperation on issues relating to the Multilateral Trading System, Digital Economy, International Trade, Financial Cooperation and Sustainable Development.” This strategy is not just a document, but a road map to our future.

This forward-looking blueprint aims to deepen the ties that bind BRICS nations, with South Africa poised to benefit as a regional gateway for Asia-Africa trade. But such ambitions rest precariously on domestic execution.

The visa conundrum: when policy fails practice