Türkiye eyes $50B trade goal with Africa as Lesotho's premier pays visit

​​​​​​​By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye aims to step up its bilateral trade with the African continent to $50 billion, nearly 10 times the 2003 figure of $5.4 billion, the country’s vice president said on Tuesday.

The trade volume between Türkiye and 54 African countries has grown sevenfold, reaching $37 billion from 2003 to 2023, Cevdet Yilmaz said after a meeting with Lesotho’s Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Highlighting Turkish investments in Africa, Yilmaz said investors from his country have contributed approximately $10 billion to the continent. He also emphasized the achievements of Turkish contracting companies, which have undertaken 1,977 projects worth $91.6 billion in Africa.

“Our trade volume with Sub-Saharan African countries rose from $1.35 billion in 2003 to $12.4 billion in 2023. Turkish contractors have undertaken 445 projects with a total value of $26.7 billion in this region,” he said.

Acknowledging limited progress in trade and investment relations with the Southern African nation Lesotho in the past, Yilmaz expressed optimism for a new era following Matekane’s visit.

“This visit by Prime Minister Matekane is historic, marking the highest-level visit from the Kingdom of Lesotho to our country. I believe it will be instrumental in advancing our relations and intensifying high-level engagements in the future,” Yilmaz stated.

Yilmaz reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to supporting Africa's development and progress in all fields, emphasizing a partnership built on brotherhood.

He highlighted Turkish Airlines’ extensive network, with flights to over 60 destinations across the continent, and the active presence of Turkish institutions and foundations.

“To strengthen our ties with Africa, we have increased the number of our embassies from 12 in 2002 to 44 today,” he said.

Noting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited 31 African countries so far, Yilmaz said Ankara’s efforts to “expand our diplomatic network in Africa” includes Lesotho’s capital Maseru.

“We are pleased to be informed of the intention of Lesotho’s authorities to open an embassy in Ankara in the future,” he added.

- Diplomatic Missions

Prime Minister Matekane remarked that his delegation had closely observed Türkiye’s advancements in industry and technology, noting: “We believe that this model will play a very important role in the economic transformation of our own country."

Matekane underlined the historical significance of his visit and said the two nations held key discussions aimed at strengthening their relationship.

He highlighted strategic areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, agriculture, energy, education, capacity building, tourism, and culture, as well as collaboration on migration and labor.

“The two countries decided to open diplomatic missions mutually,” Matekane said, adding that Lesotho would work diligently to fulfill this commitment.