TEHRAN – A 46-member trade delegation headed by the vice president for science and technology Sourena Sattari travelled to South Africa on Monday to expand international market for knowledge-based companies, Mehr reported.

The delegation includes owners of finance funds and knowledge-based companies active in the field of information and communications, health, biotechnology, mining industries and industrial equipment.

During the four-day trip to Johannesburg and Pretoria, the Iranian companies hold B2B meetings with their counterparts at the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

They will also attend the Science Forum South Africa (SFSA), which will be held from December 12 to 14 in Pretoria.

At the forum, the Iranian companies have the chance to get introduce to technology in Africa.

During their trip, Sattari paid visit to South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology Mmamoloko Tryphosa Kubayi and they discussed development of scientific and technological cooperation.

In October, Sattari headed a delegation of officials and knowledge-based companies’ directors to Kenya and Uganda in order to boost the market of Iranian knowledge-based companies in eastern Africa.

According to weforum.org, as Africa transitions from the margins to the mainstream of the global economy, technology is playing an increasingly significant role. 

Bolstering regional trends in business, investment and modernization is the emergence of an IT ecosystem – a growing patchwork of entrepreneurs, tech ventures and innovation centers coalescing from country to country.

SB/MG