CHENNAI: India is keen on tapping the potential for supply of a wide range of skills needed by South Africa and participating in the pan-African e-network initiative proposed by President Abdul Kalam, according to Satyabrata Pal, Indian High Commissioner to South Africa.

Talking to The Hindu during his recent visit here, Mr. Pal said Educational Consultants (India) was preparing a package of curriculum development, performance measurement for teachers and teacher training for the benefit of South Africa. It would also try to recruit teachers for being employed on short-term contracts in South Africa and conduct short-term courses in India for South African teachers.

Mr. Pal said Telecommunication Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) would similarly help South Africa in developing skills needed for the sector. South Africa needed skills in a whole range of sectors, including manufacturing and public services such as auditing. The skills shortage in South Africa was a legacy of the erstwhile apartheid regime.

The Pan-African e-initiative involved the creation of a distance education network, telemedicine and VVIP connectivity. The African Union had chosen Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) as the headquarters of the initiative, in which 15 countries, including South Africa, were expected to be active participants.

India had started disbursement of assistance committed by it to the extent of $200 million for the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development).

Asked about the impact of regional economic integration in the African continent, the High Commissioner said India was a member of the dialogue forum of the South African Development Community (SADC). It was negotiating a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with the South African Customs Union (SACU) and a framework agreement to work towards a PTA with South Africa. The talks were now progressing because South Africa was less preoccupied with PTA negotiations with the U.S. and China. The trilateral IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) initiative would lead to greater integration between member countries of MERCOSUR, the SACU and India and also assist in the development especially of tourism, civil aviation and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Mr. Pal pointed out that South Africa was next only to the US in terms of the network of Indian consular establishments (with the High Commission in Pretoria and Consulate-Generals in Johannesburg and Durban and an office in Cape Town).

The High Commissioner said India could benefit from South African technologies in deep mining, coal gasification and infrastructure development, while India could help in the auto components sector, vaccines for HIV/AIDs and SME development.

The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and commercial establishments such as the Tatas, the Mahindras and State Bank of India were expanding their operations in South Africa.

Mr. Pal said though a large section of the people of Indian origin in South Africa hailed from southern India, the absence of direct air services between South India and South Africa posed a constraint to people-to-people contact. India would try to use the IBSA agreement of 2003 to initiate a Chennai-Durban-Sao Paulo air service. The tourist traffic between India and South Africa was at a mere 25,000 because of inadequate air services. The Association of Tour Operators of South Africa proposed to hold a convention in Mumbai early next year, Mr. Pal added.

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