Lam Dong promotes trade and tourism cooperation with South Africa
On the afternoon of October 13, Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Tuan, together with leaders of provincial departments and agencies, received Vuyiswa Tulelo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to Vietnam, and her delegation during their working visit to the province.
The meeting took place following the upgrade of Vietnam-South Africa relations to a Strategic Partnership in November 2025, opening new opportunities for cooperation between localities and businesses of the two countries.
At the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Tuan outlined Lam Dong's potential following the merger of Lam Dong, Dak Nong, and Binh Thuan provinces.
The province has strengths in mineral resources, energy, high-tech agriculture, and tourism. In the first nine months of 2026, economic growth was estimated at 8.51%, while the province had 247 foreign-invested projects with total registered capital of about USD 8.9 billion.
In agriculture, Lam Dong has around 110,700 hectares under high-tech production and about 328,000 hectares of coffee. However, more than 98% of its coffee exports are still in the form of unprocessed green beans. The province therefore prioritizes deep processing, higher agricultural value, and market expansion.
Provincial leaders noted that economic cooperation with South Africa remains limited. Bilateral trade reached about USD 0.7 million in the first nine months of 2026, while Lam Dong has yet to attract any South African investment projects.
Lam Dong hopes the South African Embassy will help connect the province with investors and businesses in high-tech agriculture, agricultural processing, energy, minerals, tourism, and logistics.
The province also proposed support for local businesses seeking access to the South African market, bringing products such as coffee, tea, cashews, pepper, fruit and vegetables, flowers, and OCOP products closer to South African consumers.
Ambassador Vuyiswa Tulelo expressed her hope for stronger business connections and more opportunities for organizations from both sides to conduct surveys, explore potential, and develop cooperation.
She said she hoped future visits would bring more South African businesses to Lam Dong, particularly to explore tourism opportunities and strengthen trade links.
The ambassador also proposed exploring the establishment of a cooperative relationship between Lam Dong and a South African locality. Stronger people-to-people exchanges and direct links among businesses and communities, she said, would help make cooperation more substantive. The two sides could also explore complementary opportunities in agriculture, particularly for seasonal products.
Lam Dong expressed its desire to work with the South African Embassy on tourism promotion, connections between travel businesses, exchanges of agricultural expertise, and stronger cultural and sports cooperation. The province also proposed inviting South African partners to participate in the Da Lat Flower Festival and exploring ties with a South African locality with similar conditions to build a long-term partnership.
