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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, with visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a welcoming ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. The German President is on a three day visit to South Africa. (AP Photo)

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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, second from left, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, meets politicians during a welcome ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. The German President is on a three day visit to South Africa. (AP Photo)

South African president praises German investment

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 2:17 PM ET May. 09, 2019

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's president says Germany is an important economic partner which he hopes will expand its investment here.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was speaking Tuesday in Cape Town to mark the end of the three-day state visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Ramaphosa said Germany is South Africa's third-largest global trading partner and one of the country's largest foreign investors. He said more than 600 German companies operate in South Africa, sustaining approximately 100,000 jobs.

Both Germany and South Africa will be non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the year 2019 to 2020 and Ramaphosa said the leaders agreed that their two countries would work together to promote global peace and security as well as to strengthen the multilateralism system.