Tengku Zafrul Highlights Priority of Africa Trade and Investment
The Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, has firmly declared that bolstering trade and Investment ties with the African Union, particularly with South Africa, stands as a critical priority for Malaysia.
This strategic focus was reinforced by the Minister during his recent visit, where he leveraged social media platforms to communicate the importance of the relationship to a broader audience.
He underscored the historical significance of the partnership, noting that South Africa was Malaysia’s largest trading partner across the entire African continent in 2024.
He stated clearly, and with conviction, that as the single biggest foreign investor originating from the African Union, Malaysia holds a deep commitment to ensuring this close relationship continues its strong trajectory, delivering substantial and mutual Business benefits for the peoples and economies of both nations.
The Minister further detailed the existing scale of the commercial relationship, pointing out that in 2024, total bilateral trade between Malaysia and South Africa was valued impressively at RM7.82 billion (US$1.71 billion).
This figure reflects a healthy flow of goods and services, with Malaysia’s exports to South Africa reaching RM3.84 billion (US$840 million) and imports standing marginally higher at RM3.98 billion (US$870 million).
This active trade balance underscores the necessity for sustained high-level engagement and ongoing Investment to ensure the Economy continues to thrive.
Elevating Malaysia’s Global Economy Standing
Tengku Zafrul emphasized that the MADANI Government places immense value on the crucial contributions made by Malaysians residing or working abroad, viewing them as unofficial envoys who perform a vital role in both expanding global networks and significantly enhancing Malaysia’s standing on the international stage.
His official visits to both Ethiopia and South Africa provided key opportunities for him to personally share the nation’s aspirations and strategic direction, always maintaining a primary focus on the core mission of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), which is to vigorously boost international trade and attract foreign Investment.
The Minister asserted that this specific period presents a unique and opportune moment for the country to further elevate its global position.
He backed this optimistic assessment with concrete economic data, proudly highlighting Malaysia’s robust gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which recorded an impressive 5.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2025.
This strong performance places the nation firmly on the correct trajectory to successfully achieve the challenging 2025 growth target set between 4 per cent and 4.8 per cent.
This positive Economy environment serves as the foundational strength supporting the Minister’s drive for greater Investment and Business expansion in key regions like Africa, ensuring that the country’s strong domestic financial health is translated into successful international commercial ventures.
For the first nine months of 2025 alone, Malaysia successfully attracted a total of RM285.2 billion in approved Investment funds, with foreign Investment accounting for a significant 52.9 per cent of that total, underscoring global confidence in the nation’s Finance and industrial prospects.
Strategic Diplomatic Tour and Future Business Alignment
The Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul, traveled as an integral member of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s high-level delegation on a crucial diplomatic and Business tour spanning three key African countries—Ethiopia, South Africa, and Kenya—which took place from November 18 to 24, 2025.
This coordinated tour underscored Malaysia’s strategic focus on the African continent, aligning diplomatic efforts with commercial objectives.
The Prime Minister’s primary engagement in South Africa was the invitation to attend the prestigious G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg as a special guest of the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, a significant acknowledgment of Malaysia’s pivotal role as the ASEAN Chair for 2025.
This G20 participation provided an unparalleled platform to link Malaysia’s regional economic leadership with broader global Finance and Economy policy discussions.
The comprehensive Malaysian delegation also included the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, alongside various senior Malaysian government officials and a carefully selected accompanying Business delegation.
Following their engagements in Johannesburg, the delegation was scheduled to continue their strategic journey to Nairobi, Kenya, from November 23 to 24, before finally concluding the tour and returning to Malaysia.
This multi-country itinerary demonstrates a commitment to establishing multiple, resilient trade and Investment footholds across Eastern and Southern Africa, enhancing Malaysia’s influence and opening new Economy avenues for Malaysian corporations.
Market Analysis: AfCFTA Access and Capital Reallocation in ASEAN
The concerted diplomatic and commercial effort, spearheaded by Tengku Zafrul, is fundamentally a strategic move to secure future market access within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), effectively positioning South Africa as the principal entry hub for Malaysian Investment.
While South Africa provides immediate and stable bilateral trade, the long-term Business value lies in utilizing its robust Finance and logistics infrastructure to bypass market fragmentation across the rest of the continent.
This strategy directly benefits Malaysian firms in the industrial and digital services sectors by offering a lower-risk platform for capital deployment compared to greenfield ventures in other African nations.
The focus on generating new external demand buffers, particularly in a large, under-served market like Africa, serves a critical purpose for the ASEAN region’s Economy.
It provides a valuable diversification option for Malaysian institutional Investment, which is currently heavily concentrated in Southeast Asia.
By encouraging outbound investment to Africa, Malaysia is actively and strategically reallocating regional capital to achieve higher, less correlated returns, thereby de-risking the overall national Finance portfolio from potential domestic or regional shocks.
This proactive Business diplomacy enhances Malaysia’s role as a sophisticated emerging market leader, one capable of not only attracting Investment but also exporting capital and industrial expertise to drive growth in the global South.
