'We have to negotiate trade agreements with our partners in SACU.

'We are going to insist that this matter of negotiating with India is given the priority it deserves and that we are not going to accept any further blockages in the process. That you can take as a very firm commitment -- we're going to make this thing happen.'

Davies said that both he and India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma had committed to doing everything that they could to remove any blockages in boosting trade and investment between the two countries.

Analysts here believe that the current India-South Africa trade of $6 billion could be easily doubled with a preferential trade agreement.

(Fakir Hassen can be contacted at 27824154806@vodamail.co.za)