By Lesedi Sibiya- Diplomatic Insider
H.E Mr Mohammed Saadaoui, the Moroccan Ambassador to South Africa, hosted a plethora of delegates at the official residence of the kingdom of Morocco in Pretoria today. The occasion was to celebrate the 26th anniversary of King Mohammad VI, as well as reaffirm the bilateral relations between South Africa and Morocco.
The event began with various ambassadors and delegates extending their greetings to the Moroccan Ambassador. The festivities were met with much enthusiasm before the programme began in which Ambassador Saadaoui addressed all the guests on when Morocco and South Africa began their relations and what each country has achieved since then.
“Today’s celebration symbolizes the continuity of the bonds between the people and the king…Today marks 26 years of the enthronement of the empowerment of his majesty, a period that has remarkably changed the country in multiple dimensions.” said Moroccan Ambassador. The ambassador went further to discuss the growing Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) of Morocco which has risen exponentially in the last quarter century.
“Over the past quarter century, Morocco’s GDP has grown significantly from approximately 42 million dollars in 2000 to over 160 billion dollars in 2024.”
The Ambassador also stated that Morocco’s source of energy is 40% renewable.
“In terms of factorial achievements, today, 40% of our electricity is from renewable resources…Our target is 52% by the year 2030.”
“1 Million acres of land have been dedicated to green hydrogen production to consolidate our energy transition.” The Ambassador added.
The Ambassador spoke of Morocco being the leading automotive industry in Africa; “Morocco has also become the leader of the automotive industry in Africa. Last year, more than 700,000 cars were produced in Morocco, 40,000 electric vehicles are now being manufactured locally, aiming for 2 million vehicles per year by 2030.”
The Ambassador also spoke of the growth in tourism in the country of Morocco as they are set to host tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain which could further boost Morocco’s tourism prospects; “In the tourism sector, Morocco is emerging as a premier tourist destination, preparing to host the 2025 Africa Cup Of Nations in December…Morocco will also host the 2030 FIFA World Cup along with Spain and Portugal.”
The Ambassador also expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine over the Israel’s ruthless occupation of the country who have been suffering from the two year war; “ As we celebrate with pride, our national day, we must not forget the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Palestine facing the hardships of war for almost two years now.” The trade relations with Morocco and other African nations has also increased by 9.5 % over the last twenty years as mentioned by the ambassador in his address; “Over the past two decades , Morocco’s trade with African partners has seen an average annual increase of around 9.5%. Today, around 80% of Morocco’s foreign investments in Rome are directed within the continents.”
Kekana Maisela, Deputy Director General of Climate Change and Air quality at the Department of forestry, fisheries, and the environment, also gave an address on behalf of the government of South Africa, addressing the long standing relations between the two countries of South Africa and Morocco.
“Our two countries have been hard at work in the last few years to rekindle our bilateral relations in a more practical manner. However, much remains to be done in shaping our relations. As we certainly look forward to many years of diplomatic relations and beyond.”
Maisela made mention the strong bilateral trades between the two nations which has an average growth rate of 61%; “It should be noted with cheerfulness that the bilateral trades between South Africa and the Kingdom of Morocco increased by an average growth of 61% from 1.4 billion rands in 2020 to 3.6 billion rands in 2024. From 2020 to 2024, exports to Morocco grew by an average rate of 113 %, and imports from Morocco increased by an average of 19%.”
Mr Maisela also mentioned that the COVID 19 pandemic had caused trade between the two countries to dwindle; “The fluctuation of trade between South Africa and the kingdom of Morocco can be attributed to COVID 19 restrictions. In 2024, South Africa’s total imports from Morocco were valued at 1.4 billion rands, and the top imports represented 82% share of total imports.”
After the address all the ambassadors in attendance had taken a group photo to illustrate solidarity in relations, to which the guest then proceeded to indulge in the enormous amount of food for all to enjoy at the Ambassadors residence.
