While South Africa has contributed roughly $49 million to Ghana’s economy — largely thorough exports — president Jabob Zuma says the country looks to heighten their financial stake and influence. According to a report published by Independent Online, Ghana and South Africa have revisited the issue of job creation, highlighting Memorandums of Understandings signed by former Ghana president John Atta Mills.

The purpose of the agreements was and is to bolster available employment opportunities within multiple sectors in both Ghana and South Africa.

“We are happy that we are making progress on collaboration in various sectors including energy, science and technology, trade and industry, tourism, environment, agriculture and transport,” Zuma said in the report. “In 2011, during the state visit to South Africa by the late president of Ghana John Atta Mills, our two governments signed seven MOUs.”

During a recent visit to Ghana, Zuma met with Ghanaian president John Mahama and other state politicians to further discuss recent large-scale projects and agreements.

“We are particularly pleased with the collaboration in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project bid, and the continued collaboration between our two countries in the design of the SKA Implementation Strategy and the Africa Very Long Baseline Interferometry programme,” Zuma said.

The program includes eight partner states in total. According to the SKA website, seven Ghanian technicians participated in a “hands-on radio astronomy instrumentation training,” which reached completion in October 2013. Pushing technicians to obtain skills that can be used outside of SKA initiatives, the project aims to enable participants to usher in and develop a science and tech-based African telescope network.

In the Independent Online report, Zuma emphasized Ghana’s importance to South Africa’s economy.

“As partners, we need to ensure that the fruits of these MOUs translate into jobs and the creation of prosperity for our peoples,” Zuma added.

Other collaborative memorandums of understanding involving transport, electricity and bilateral air service agreement efforts were to be signed during Zuma’s visit, according to Independent Online.