Vietnam and South Africa both see great a potential for them to establish closer links, especially in footwear, seafood and wooden products, said the South African Ambassador to Vietnam.

When talking to the media on the 16 th anniversary of South Africa ’s Freedom Day (April 27, 1994-2010) in Hanoi , Ambassador Ratubasi Super Moloi said that many South African businesses are keen to invest in Vietnam in the areas of mining, clean water supplies, logistics and gold and diamond processing.

South Africa is proud of the achievements it has made over the past 16 years, he said, adding that the South African people coexist peacefully with other countries in Africa as well as the rest of the world.

The country has made impressive progress in addressing conflicts and development, he noted.

Regardless of the geographical distance, the traditional relationship between the Vietnamese and South African peoples was first established from the common challenges the two countries faced during their struggles for freedom, he said.

2010 marks the 16 th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and South Africa but in fact, their relations have started long before, he added.

On the occasion, Ambassador Moloi underlined that South Africa will be hosting the World Cup in June this year, which offers an excellent opportunity for the country to showcase its cultural values, eight world heritages and the beauty of its land and people.

This is the first time that the World Cup has been held in an African country so South Africa and other regional countries will be able to present their own special cultural identities and abundant heritages to the global community, he said, adding that millions of Vietnamese people can watch World Cup football matches broadcast by Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC).
He said that his country has spent almost 3 billion USD preparing for the event, including building five modern stadiums and upgrading five others.

Vietnamese people who hold tickets for any World Cup match will be granted free visas to South Africa as quickly as possible, he added.

To celebrate the start of the 2010 World Cup, the South African Embassy in Vietnam will organise a special football tournament to raise funds for poor children and disadvantaged people. At present, more than 20 teams have registered to take part in the event./.