Deputy President Paul Mashatile and a delegation of South Africa's government and business representatives are taken through a guided tour of the Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics company, demonstrating a wide-range of cutting edge technology and AI deployed in the primary health services by the company, ahead of the bilateral engagement with the senior leadership of Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, led by its President Hao Wu on their premises in Shenzhen, Nanshan District in China.
Image: GCIS
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has invited Chinese medical technology company Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics to expand its footprint in South Africa, including establishing local manufacturing, training centres and research partnerships to support the country's healthcare transformation.
Speaking during a meeting with Mindray executives in Shenzhen on Friday as part of his working visit to China, Mashatile said South Africa wanted to deepen long-term partnerships that go beyond investment to include technology transfer, skills development and job creation.
"China remains South Africa's largest trading partner and one of our most important sources of investment, technology and industrial collaboration," Mashatile said.
He said the visit underscored South Africa's commitment to strengthening trade, investment and industrial cooperation with China across strategic sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, digital technologies and innovation.
Mashatile said healthcare remained central to South Africa's development agenda as the government worked to build a modern, inclusive and resilient healthcare system capable of delivering quality services to all citizens.
"We are committed to building a modern, inclusive and resilient healthcare system that delivers quality healthcare services to all our people," he said.
He added that government was focused on improving healthcare infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening the healthcare workforce and ensuring innovation improved health outcomes in both urban and rural communities.
Mashatile thanked Mindray for its longstanding presence in South Africa, saying the company's partnerships with public and private healthcare institutions demonstrated confidence in the country's healthcare market and broader economy.
"We appreciate the company's longstanding presence in our healthcare sector and the valuable partnerships that have been established with leading public and private healthcare institutions throughout the country," he said.
He identified several areas where South Africa sees opportunities to work with Mindray, including smart hospitals, telemedicine, advanced diagnostic and imaging equipment, healthcare information systems, workforce training, medical technology manufacturing, research and artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery.
Mashatile said Mindray's proposal to support digital healthcare transformation and skills development aligned closely with the country's priorities.
"We are particularly interested in exploring opportunities to establish centres of excellence, training facilities and partnerships with South African universities, hospitals and research institutions to strengthen healthcare capabilities and promote knowledge exchange," he said.
He also encouraged the company to consider expanding its local operations by establishing regional service and training centres while exploring opportunities for medical technology assembly, manufacturing and localisation in South Africa.
Mashatile said South Africa's position as a gateway to the African continent, combined with the opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), offered companies such as Mindray access to one of the world's fastest-growing markets.
"As South Africa continues to strengthen its position as a gateway to the African continent, we believe there are significant opportunities for Mindray to utilise South Africa as a strategic base for serving healthcare markets across Africa," he said.
He reiterated government's commitment to supporting investors through policy certainty, investment facilitation and strategic partnerships, and invited Mindray to participate in the next South Africa Investment Conference.
Mashatile also encouraged the company to work with InvestSA and the government's One Stop Shop investment facilitation mechanism to accelerate project implementation and expand its contribution to healthcare transformation in South Africa and across the African continent.
"We look forward to deepening our partnership with Mindray and working together to improve healthcare outcomes, drive innovation and create lasting value for both our countries," he said.
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