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As local production caught up, South African manufacturers exported R1.66 billion (US $ 0.110 million) worth of hand sanitizers to 30 African countries in June-November, a senior trade official said Monday.
Destinations for the disinfectants included Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique and Ghana, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said, calling the export a sign of strengthened business ties between local and foreign manufacturers.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, South Africa faced a shortage of hand sanitizers and the industry worked with the government to expand local production,” he said. “As soon as enough capacity was built up for local use, the International Trade Administration Commission issued permits to local companies to export products to other African countries.”
Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains, the minister said it fostered local production and innovation.
“South Africa has the largest diversified industrial base on the continent and was able to use local knowledge to scale-up production of critical personal protective equipment,” said Patel.
Since the African Continental Free Trade Agreement is scheduled to go into effect next year, it will further boost manufacturing and trade in Africa, Patel said.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent have exceeded 2.26 million, the Ethiopia-based African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.
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