PAIH and Polish government delegation open new opportunities for Polish businesses in South Africa

The business delegation aimed to support the internationalisation of leading Polish companies and build long-term relationships with partners from South Africa, one of the most important markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program was tailored to the needs of companies representing strategic sectors of the Polish economy and designed to facilitate contacts with representatives of public administration, business and financial institutions.

PAIH was represented by Anna Leśnodorska, Deputy Director of PAIH’s Export Support Department for Africa and the Middle East, and Kasia Muzyk, Head of the PAIH Foreign Trade Office in Johannesburg.

The delegation included representatives of companies operating in key sectors of the Polish economy: Grzegorz Lot, President of the Management Board of TAURON Polska Energia S.A.; Krzysztof Zawadzki, Vice President of the Management Board of TAURON Polska Energia S.A.; Adrian Sienicki, Vice President for the WĘGLOKOKS S.A. Group and President of the Management Board of Huta Częstochowa Sp. z o.o.; Maciej Chamerski, President of the Management Board of Torhamer Sp. z o.o.; and Konrad Wojciechowski, Deputy Director of the Projects and Products Department at WB Electronics S.A. (WB Group). The delegation was also supported on-site by Monika Nizioł, Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa in Poland.

The companies represented sectors of strategic importance to the development of modern economies, including energy, transport infrastructure, steelmaking, heavy industry and advanced defense technologies. The participation of companies with such extensive technological and industrial expertise reflects growing interest among Polish businesses in developing cooperation with South African partners and pursuing joint investment and industrial projects.

The central event of the programme was the Polish-South African Business Roundtable, organised by PAIH. The event brought together representatives of public administration, businesses and financial institutions from both countries, including Michał Baranowski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Development and Technology, and Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa.

The roundtable provided a platform for open dialogue on the potential for economic cooperation between Poland and South Africa. Discussions focused on opportunities for developing partnerships in the areas of energy transition, renewable energy, rail, road and port infrastructure, mining, steelmaking, advanced technologies, and the defence and dual-use sectors. Polish companies presented their experience, expertise and technological solutions while gaining a better understanding of the conditions for doing business in the South African market and opportunities for cooperation with local partners.

Representatives of key South African institutions and organisations also took part in the meeting, including InvestSA, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Coaltech, Redefine, Growthpoint and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Discussions covered, among other topics, the investment environment, available support instruments and prospects for implementing joint business ventures.

The business programme also included individual B2B and B2G meetings tailored to the business profiles of the participating companies. These meetings gave members of the delegation an opportunity to engage directly with potential business and institutional partners and discuss specific opportunities for cooperation.

An important element of the programme was also a series of meetings between delegation representatives, Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski and Undersecretary of State Michał Baranowski. These meetings provided an opportunity to exchange initial insights from the market, discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with the operations of Polish companies in South Africa, and identify priorities for further action to support the development of bilateral economic cooperation.

The organisation of the visit’s business component by PAIH demonstrates the Agency’s commitment to building international partnerships and supporting Polish companies in expanding into high-growth-potential markets. South Africa remains one of Poland’s most important economic partners on the African continent, and the discussions held during the visit have laid a solid foundation for the development of new trade and investment initiatives.

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