CAPE TOWN (AFP) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in South Africa Thursday on his first visit to an English-speaking African nation since taking office in May, with talks expected to focus on energy.
Sarkozy was scheduled to kick off his two-day visit in Cape Town, the seat of the nation's parliament, with talks at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) with South African President Thabo Mbeki. He will later address the assembly.
He was due to hold a joint press conference with Mbeki at 12:10 p.m. (10:10 GMT).
South Africa's energy crisis is expected to feature high on the agenda, with Mbeki seeking co-operation from his counterpart along with increased French investment in the transport, energy, automotive and aeronautical sectors.
The chairman of French nuclear giant Areva, Anne Lauvergeon, is accompanying Sarkozy as the company bids for a contract to build up to 12 power plants in Africa's economic powerhouse, crippled by an electricity shortage.
The plants would be built in partnership with construction conglomerate Bouygues and French electricity giant EDF, alongside South African engineering firm Aveng.
"Sarkozy aims to light up our lives", screams a bold headline in The Star newspaper on Thursday.
South Africa's state power utility Eskom has rationed electricity use across South Africa. As a result of the shortage, diamond, gold and platinum mines were shut for a week last month and thousands of workers are at risk of losing their jobs.
Controlled power blackouts have disrupted everything from manufacturing to traffic lights in what the government has labelled a national emergency.
Mbeki and Sarkozy are expected to sign a raft of energy, science and technology deals, as well as partnerships in tourism and transport security ahead of South Africa's hosting of the 2010 football World Cup.
On the agenda for talks are security issues on the continent, including the ongoing conflict in Chad which Sarkozy visited prior to South Africa.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss reform of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods international financial institutions.
France is South Africa's eighth largest trading partner and an important investor. Bilateral trade reached 25 billion rand (3.3 billion US dollars, 2.2 billion euros) last year.
The trade balance remains in France's favour, with South Africa exporting mainly minerals, metals and other commodities while imports from France included machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Officials in the two delegations were to meet in a joint business forum in Cape Town.
Sarkozy is accompanied by his new wife, singer and model Carla Bruni.
After the business forum at Cape Town, the pair will leave for Johannesburg for a private meeting with former president and anti-apartheid icon 89-year-old Nelson Mandela.
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