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Belarus, South Africa working on tractor assembly project

MINSK, 29 December (BelTA) – Belarus and South Africa are working on a project to start assembling Belarusian tractors. The project was mentioned by Ambassador of Belarus to South Africa with concurrent accreditation to Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia Alexander Sidoruk in an interview with the Market Conditions magazine, BelTA has learned.

The diplomat said that a project is in development to start assembling Belarusian tractors in South Africa. Mozambique shows interest in similar projects, too.

According to Alexander Sidoruk, Belarusian companies have examples of successful manufacturing cooperation with African countries. For instance, an enterprise assembling Belarusian tractors already operates in Zambia. It was fully established using local state finance.

Alexander Sidoruk added that a very careful approach of Belarusian companies to working with their own overseas branches and to working on the market of the Southern Africa region as a whole is the main deterring factor in the establishment of enterprises to assemble Belarusian vehicles, machines, and equipment.

“For instance, the main problem in negotiations of [the tractor manufacturer] MTZ and [the automaker] MAZ on setting up joint assembly enterprises in Angola is the unpreparedness of the Belarusian industrial giants to co-invest in these projects. The approach is unacceptable for Angola, because it does not guarantee the readiness of the Belarusian partners for long-term presence in Angola and their interest in the effective operation of the assembly enterprises, including their management,” explained the ambassador.

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