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Pretoria - Cooperation in the areas of energy, mining and agriculture is expected to dominate the agenda when President Jacob Zuma meets his Zambian counterpart Rupiah Banda in Pretoria this afternoon.
Banda will be in the country for a three-day state visit ending on Friday.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the visit takes place within the context of consolidating "the African Agenda" through enhancing and deepening of the political, economic and social relations between South Africa and Zambia.
"This visit is aimed at strengthening the already existing cordial relations between the two countries which were further enhanced by President Zuma's State Visit to Zambia in December 2009," the department said.
Though South Africa is the largest exporter to Zambia, the trade balance shows a steady decline of South Africa's exports, which were valued at R11.2 billion and R7 billion in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The same decline applies to imports, as the statistics show R1.6 billion in 2009 and 1.4 billion in 2010. This notwithstanding, Zambia remains one of South Africa's top ten trading partners on the continent.
South African exports to Zambia consist mostly of machinery and mechanical appliances, fertilisers, petroleum oils, motor vehicles, edible fruits and cereals while imports, include mainly copper and other base metals, copper concentrates, other ores, sugar, tobacco, coffee and cotton.
