The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce(MIIC), Jamaica’s Business Ministry, under the leadership of Senator  Aubyn Hill, hosted a state luncheon in honour of the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, the Honourable Alvin Botes, who is representing His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa. 

The engagement explored opportunities for deeper business, investment and commercial cooperation between Jamaica and South Africa.

The engagement, held at the AC Hotel Kingston, brought together over 80 senior representatives from Jamaica’s business community, spanning the manufacturing, banking and services sectors, as well as business associations. Senator  Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, also attended, underscoring the significance of the official luncheon.

Senator  Aubyn Hill said Jamaica has built strong institutions and an attractive investment environment that provides a solid foundation for deeper cooperation with South Africa.

“Jamaica has a prime geographic position on offer; a very stable political system; a very stable currency backed by the historically highest Net International Reserves (NIR) to bolster that currency stability and strength; a globally recognised and well-regulated Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE); a strong Judiciary – among many others,” said Minister Hill.

He added that investors from South Africa and around the world will appreciate this fabulous fact: “In the last three years, Jamaica’s murder rate has fallen by 67 per cent to the end of 2025, and it’s down another 20-plus per cent in 2026. All these make Jamaica a very attractive investment destination.”

Deputy Minister the Hon. Alvin Botes encouraged Jamaican businesses to capitalise on existing trade links and deepen commercial partnerships with South Africa. He stated that Jamaica is a prime destination for South Africa’s pension funds because of Jamaica’s social and economic infrastructure.

He highlighted other opportunities in mining, deep-sea mining and agriculture.

These areas underscored the importance of expanding economic and financial cooperation through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and described Jamaica as a strategic gateway for investment into the Caribbean and the wider Americas.

The luncheon was hosted to showcase Jamaica’s attractiveness as an investment platform that South African firms could use as a base to access wider markets in CARICOM, North America and Latin America. Priority areas for collaboration included film and animation, automotive and e-mobility services, logistics, agro-processing, renewable energy, tourism, and global digital services. Both countries also explored opportunities for regulatory cooperation, including the framework for special economic zones and cannabis-related knowledge sharing.