Between South Africa and South China
In about four months, on 18 September 2019, South African Airways (SAA) will launch a thrice weekly A340-300 direct service between Johannesburg and Guangzhou (photo), in the Chinese province of Guangdong.
The centre of China's export led manufacturing industries is described as "the world’s manufacturing hub". Formal and informal traders source the majority of goods purchased in sub-Saharan Africa from the province, due to Africa’s poor manufacturing capacity.
The first new route since SAA implemented its turnaround strategy made CEO Vuyani Jarana "confident that the introduction of this route is based on sound commercial considerations and will not only benefit SAA but South Africa as a whole as China is the largest source market in Asia. It is also South Africa’s largest trading partner in the world." (ah)