This week, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is participating in the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town alongside Estonian technology companies. The event is the region’s leading technology and innovation fair, expected to welcome nearly 17,000 participants. Estonia’s business delegation is attending for the fourth time.
“South Africa is Estonia’s most important trading partner in Africa — our service exports alone exceed €100 million,” said Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “A welcome development for entrepreneurs is the visa-free travel arrangement that came into effect this September, making it significantly easier to operate in the country.” She emphasised the importance of maintaining visibility and presence in the market.
“South Africa is Estonia’s most important trading partner in Africa — our service exports alone exceed €100 million.”
Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary Ratnik met with South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, with whom she discussed bilateral cooperation in the digital field and whom Ratnik also invited to Tallinn for the next Africa Business Forum.
Cybernetica expands its footprint in Africa’s digital governance landscape
According to Maarja Suiste, representative of Cybernetica, the company’s goal during the visit is to establish new contacts with South African businesses, raise awareness of Estonia as a successful e-state among local decision-makers, and showcase Cybernetica’s digital solutions and successful projects across the African region. “As the continent’s largest economy, South Africa is steadily advancing its digitalisation efforts through various initiatives and has shown interest in Estonia’s experience and solutions,” Suiste noted.
Cybernetica is implementing e-government solutions in Africa, including in its long-standing partner country Benin, as well as in Tunisia and Namibia. This year, it launched a new project in Côte d’Ivoire. “We help countries establish key pillars of digital governance, such as interoperability platforms and citizen portals, and we work with local partners to develop the first digital services,” explained the Cybernetica representative.
She added that national joint delegations are vital for Cybernetica. “Our clients are often government institutions, and such visits — supported by the ministry — are invaluable for building trust and establishing contacts,” Suiste said.
Estonia showcases its innovation at Africa Tech Festival
The delegation also includes Bolt, one of the leading ridesharing platforms in South Africa, serving millions of riders in major cities. “Bolt is proud to represent Estonia in one of Africa’s most exciting technology and mobility markets. Our growth in South Africa demonstrates how Estonian innovation can have a meaningful social and economic impact globally,” said Simo Kalajdzic, Bolt’s Senior Operations Manager for South Africa.
“Success here requires a deep understanding of the local context, strong partnerships, and early engagement with regulators.”
Simo Kalajdzic, Bolt’s Senior Operations Manager for South Africa
He noted that South Africa is a growing market with significant opportunities for innovative companies. “Success here requires a deep understanding of the local context, strong partnerships, and early engagement with regulators. We value the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia’s Ambassador, and Enterprise Estonia export advisers in strengthening the presence of Estonian companies and supporting our participation in key events like Africa Tech Festival,” said the Bolt representative.
The Africa Tech Festival also saw the official launch of Estonia’s e-Residency campaign, and on 12 November, Latitude59 hosted an official side event to foster business connections.
The Estonian delegation included: Cybernetica, GoSwift, Bolt, Packforce South Africa, Latitude59, Civitta, the e-Residency team, Enterprise Estonia, and ESTDEV. The delegation is accompanied by Estonia’s Ambassador to South Africa, Daniel Erik Schaer.
The visit is co-financed by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
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