President Jacob Zuma will on Sunday, 25 June 2017, host the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), His Excellency President Joseph Kabila Kabange, during his official visit to South Africa to attend the 10^th Session of the South Africa-Democratic Republic of Congo Bi-National Commission (BNC) scheduled to take place in Pretoria.

South Africa and the DRC maintain good diplomatic and political relations, with the highest expression of the quality and significance of these diplomatic relations being the annual BNC co-chaired by the two Heads of State. The two countries also cooperate in several fields including security, energy, infrastructure development, capacity and institutional building, trade, health and transport.

During the Summit of the BNC, the two Heads of State will review the bilateral cooperation between the two countries as well as review progress made with the implementation of bilateral projects and further consider the reports of the Ministerial Commission on the implementation of the signed agreements and the commitments and recommendations made during the 9th Session of the BNC that was held in Kinshasa on 15 to 16 October 2015.

These commitments and recommendations concern cooperation projects in the fields of Politics and Governance; Defence and Security; Economy, Finance and Infrastructure as well as Social and Humanitarian Affairs.

Trade relations between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to show an upward trajectory. South Africa is the DRC’s biggest supplier of foreign goods and services, providing more than 20% of the country’s total imports. South Africa’s investments into the DRC are mining, services, the retail sector, finance, communications, etc.

Export products to the DRC from SA include, amongst others, machinery, mineral products, and base metals whereas imports from the DRC include machinery, mineral products and base metals. Exports to the DRC in 2016 amounted to R11 848 032; imports from the DRC was R1 377 201, and total trade in 2016 was R12 861 233.

President Zuma and President Kabila will also take the opportunity presented by the BNC to exchange views on the peace, security, stability and development in the Continent, paying particular focus on the Great Lakes Region.