International Trade Minister Emma Bonino will lead a 120-strong Italian delegation at a business forum to discuss bilateral trade between South Africa and Italy in Cape Town on July 11.

Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Pretoria in 2003, record levels of trade have taken place between the two countries, reaching approximately R23 billion ($3.3 billion) in 2006. And, although minerals and metals are South Africa’s main export products for Italy, other items, such as textile fibres and finished leather exports are rapidly increasing.

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema will also visit South Africa, Mozambique and Congo on July 9-12 in an attempt to “relaunch Italy's presence in Africa".