Johannesburg and Keighley may be poles apart on the map but their business communities are forging ever closer links.

South African businessman Brian Clark has travelled from Johannesburg to talk to members of the Keighley business community.

The first stop on his fact-finding tour was Keighley Business Forum, where the talk was about how to improve business links between the two areas.

Most of his time will be spent talking to people involved in the production and marketing of textiles and consumer goods.

As a director with South African company International Trade Solutions, Mr Clark firmly believes the growing link between Keighley and Johannesburg will lead to fresh ideas.

He says: "My company provides export intelligence to companies in South Africa, so we are in a very similar position to Keighley Business Forum.

"Our close links give us a tremendous synergy, and we have found out from keeping in close contact that our objectives are very similar."

This positive approach is echoed by Keighley Business Forum director Iain Copping, who is keen to develop links between the two areas.

He explains: "The relationship between Keighley and South Africa has been developing over the last two years, and we obviously have a lot to build on.

"We are putting a programme together for the future, and we hope to bring about eight companies over to Yorkshire, and introduce them to members of the Keighley business community."

After years of apartheid, the heart of South Africa is experiencing colossal financial and social change, which Mr Clark believes will be beneficial to its economic future.

He says: "South Africa has the ability to become a major player on the global market, and radical changes have created a vital increase in middle income families.

"This has created a whole new area of opportunity, and the economy has become a far more viable proposition than before."

Plans for the future are being discussed by the two men, and they hope to bring a delegation of South African businessmen over to Keighley in June.

* Keighley Business Forum is co-sponsoring a seminar aimed at developing Franco-British trade links.

The corporate breakfast briefing at York next month will be addressed by Olivier Louis, Economic and Commercial Minister at the French Embassy in London, who will talk about France and Britain as mutually beneficial trading partners. Places at the seminar at the Royal York Hotel, March 23, cost £25 plus VAT. For details contact Lesley Ord at Keighley Business Forum on 671870.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.