May 24, 2008

South Africa seeks to offer an alternative

South Africa's new consul-general for Hong Kong and Macau has a very practical vision of her role and the opportunities for her country here.
During the tenth year of diplomatic relations between the mainland and South Africa, Tembi Tambo is looking to nudge Macau, Hong Kong and her country a little closer together, economically and culturally.

While signing huge contracts for the country's much coveted seafood, wine and quality steel products with local business is probably a little out of reach at the moment, the straight talking Ms Tambo is first looking to lift the profile of South Africa.

“Many people don't think of Africa as having modern businesses,” she said.  “South Africa is like a first and third world at the same time, we have some very sophisticated infrastructure and industries such as agro-processing, mineral processing and manufacturing.”

The new consul-general also does not want to compete with other African nations with which Macau has closer ties.  “The natural business partner for Macau is Angola and we don't want to compete with that,” said Ms Tambo, “We want to offer an alternative”.

Still early in her first government posting after working as a business and legal consultant, Ms Tambo is working to find groups of businesses in South Africa that are interested in importing and exporting with Hong Kong and Macau.

On top of increases in sales, businesses from her home country can benefit a great deal from merely operating in the markets here, she said.
Since taking up her post on April 2, Ms Tambo has been impressed by the work ethic she sees.
“I am still reeling from the fact that shops stay open until 11:00pm, people have a phenomenal work rate here,” she said.
“We as South Africa will benefit greatly from the exposure of how things are done in Asia.”

Traditionally South African business has concentrated on Europe and the USA as foreign markets.  The government is encouraging business to shift its focus to developing markets in this region, she said.
“We want business to look to Asia and no longer be Euro-centric,” said Ms Tambo.  “It will give them exposure to a different way of doing business in a different market.”

The Tambo family is not new to shaping its home country. Ms Tambo is the daughter of Oliver Tambo, a founding member of the African National Congress Youth League. Mr Tambo, who passed away in 1993, was elected national chairperson of the ANC in 1991 after spending 30 years overseas mobilising opposition to apartheid.  The Johannesburg International Airport was renamed in his honour in 2005.

Describing her home Johannesburg as the “greenest city in the world,” life in Hong Kong is taking a little adjusting for the new CG.
Part of the cultural traditions of South Africa the new consul-general would like to introduce to the rest of the world is the tight community bonds that are enjoyed.

“It takes a village to raise a child [in South Africa], it is like an I am because you are mentality,” she said.
“Life is very community based and a child belongs to everyone in the village.”  The South African Consulate-General has more celebrations planned for the tenth year of ties with China in September.