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Strengthening Investment Ties Between France & South Africa

On February 19, 2025, at The Pullman Hotel in Cape Town, Business France had the privilege of bringing together South African investors, business leaders, and key stakeholders to discuss France’s strategic position as a top destination for foreign investment. This exclusive breakfast event fostered valuable exchanges on opportunities for South African companies to establish and expand their footprint in France.

A special thank you to H.E David Martinon who set the stage with opening remarks, highlighting the deep economic ties between our nations.

Mme la Députée Amélia Lakrafi underscored France’s commitment to fostering business-friendly policies that support foreign investors.

Nicole Blasyk presented an insightful overview of why "France is a leading host country for foreign investment," emphasizing its innovation-driven economy, dynamic industrial hubs, and extensive support for international businesses. In 2023, 1815 investment projects created 59 000 jobs over a three-year period.

One of the highlights of the morning was the inspiring testimony from Johann du Toit, CEO of Simera Group. He shared the success story of Simera Sense—a cutting-edge South African company specializing in high-performance cameras for CubeSats and microsatellites. With its new facilities in Somerset West and recent expansion to Toulouse, the ‘European Space Capital,’ Simera exemplifies the boundless opportunities for collaboration between our two countries in the aerospace sector. 

Thank you to Nicole Blasyk and Akhona Sikhakhane from the Business France, Invest in France team, based in South Africa for their exceptional efforts in organizing this event which reaffirmed the strong business synergies between South Africa and France. If you're looking to expand your operations in Europe, France is ready to welcome you! 

Keep your eye out for the Business France Annual Report on FDI 2024, which will be released at the end of March 2025!