The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Alan Yarrow, is to lead a business delegation to Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa (8-12 October) as part of efforts to make sure London and the UK remain the regional partner of choice when it comes to financial and professional services.

The Lord Mayor, acting as chief spokesperson for the UK’s financial and professional services, will be meeting with senior members of the government, investment authorities, investment banks, education providers, regulators and business leaders. Joining him will be representatives, among others, from the UK’s banking, legal services, accountancy and insurance and investment sectors.

In addition, the Lord Mayor will be discussing the business potential of Durban 2022, talk about regional capital markets at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, host a follow up roundtable to the Gauteng Infrastructure Conference, lead a PWC hosted roundtable on regional infrastructure, while the barriers to entry for investment banks will be the topic of discussion at a business session hosted by KPMG.

Speaking ahead of his trip, Lord Mayor Yarrow said:

“As the largest trading partner for the UK in Africa, South Africa’s importance to our economy is well known. But that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels and think that our historical ties will always serve us well in the future. That is why promoting infrastructure development and finance, including in green and renewable energy, and advancing collaboration in our capital markets is going to be high on the agenda.

“Just how the UK is the gateway for international trade with Europe, South Africa is often seen as the gateway for trade with Europe so I think there will be a lot of shared similarities between our two countries.

“Finally, as Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment, I know all too well the value and reward of education, training and qualification (ETQs) so closer links with UK providers is also on the table for discussion.”

Notes to editors

About the Lord Mayor of the City of London

• The Lord Mayor is head of the Square Mile’s City of London authority for one year and the position is unpaid and apolitical. It is an exceptionally demanding role. The Lord Mayor spends some 90 days abroad and addresses some 10,000 people face-to-face each month (making around 800 speeches a year).

• The Lord Mayor represents City businesses and helps the City Corporation advise the Government of the day on what is needed to help the financial services sector to function well. The Lord Mayor frequently travels to represent the City; and travels overseas with the status of a Cabinet Minister.

• The Lord Mayor meets several international Heads of Government and Business each month to discuss financial services, often in conjunction with senior City business representatives. The Lord Mayor lives in the Mansion House for the Mayoral year.