China Unionpay(CUP) reports that First National Bank has opened its CUP card merchant acceptance business in South Africa after the trial operation in April this year.

First National Bank has more than 35,000 merchants within South Africa. CUP will work with cooperative agencies in South Africa to accelerate the acceptance market development to meet the needs of CUP cardholders in South Africa.

In the first half of 2008, the export of South Africa to China amounted to USD 2,333 million, 9.3% up over the same period of last year, while the import from China totaled USD 4,804 million, an increase of 1.9% over the same period of last year. Presently, China is the largest source of import as well as tourists for South Africa.

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