Turkish Businessmen, South African Minister Discuss Gold Trade

Text of report in English by Turkish news agency Anatolia

Istanbul, 14 May: A South African minister visited Kuyumcukent, a goldsmith complex in the Turkish city of Istanbul, on Wednesday [14 May].

South African Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa, accompanied by a delegation, visited the ateliers in the complex and held talks with officials.

Speaking during the visit, Mpahlwa said his country watched closely the activities carried out in the Turkish goldsmithery sector. He said Turkey and South Africa should definitely cooperate in such sector.

Mpahlwa also said that officials were planning to construct a complex similar to Kuyumcukent in a free-trade zone in South Africa.

Ercan Ozgur, chairman of Kuyumcukent, said during the visit that South Africa was the “strongest” country in the world’s gold mining sector.

Kuyumcukent, the investment of which was undertaken by the Jewellery Craftsmen’s Construction Cooperative in Istanbul, is the “world’s biggest expansive goldsmith complex”.

With nearly 2,200 jewellery manufacturing workshops, wholesale stores, factory type workshops, retail stores, movie halls, fast food units and restaurants, Kuyumcukent is an integrated complex that gathers jewellery manufacturers, consumers, wholesalers, retailers and exporters under one roof.

Originally published by Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1344 14 May 08.

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