Tokyo: South Africa and Japan continue to enjoy well-established diplomatic relations, which are particularly strong in the fields of trade and investment, science and technology, education, skills transfer, and capacity building through development assistance. This is according to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who was speaking during an interview with the Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan as part of a working visit to the East Asian nation.
According to South African Government News Agency, full diplomatic relations with Japan were established in 1992, while in 2010, relations between the two countries were upgraded to a Strategic Cooperation Partnership. This year marks 115 years of relations between the two nations. Mashatile told the attendees that South Africa and Japan cooperate within the framework of the Partnership Forum held at a ministerial level, which covers the entire spectrum of sectoral cooperation.
The 13th Partnership Forum was held in 2022 in Tokyo, and South Africa is expected to host the next session. Mashatile highlighted that Japan is one of South Africa’s major economic partners with significant investment in the South African economy. He noted that Japan is the fourth largest economy in the world, and total bilateral trade between the two countries in 2024 was at R132 billion, with South Africa recording a trade surplus of R52 billion.
Development cooperation between South Africa and Japan involves technical assistance, research partnerships, financial loans, supplementary budget support through international organizations, and grassroots projects in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In terms of multilateral cooperation, the Deputy President said Japan cooperates with Africa on the promotion of Africa’s developmental agenda, in line with Agenda 2063, through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) framework.
Additionally, he mentioned that the two countries cooperate in the Group of 20 (G20) framework to strengthen efforts towards advancing international economic cooperation for sustainable development. The Deputy President reiterated the South African government’s key objectives, which include reducing poverty and the cost of living, driving economic growth and job creation, and building a capable and ethical State.
Meanwhile, Mashatile stated that South Africa continues to pursue strong bilateral relations with the United States, despite the recent withdrawal of South Africa’s ambassador to the USA. He emphasized the South African government’s commitment to improving mutually beneficial trade, political, and diplomatic relations with the USA.
The Deputy President expressed gratitude to all Ministers, Deputy Ministers, senior government officials, the South African embassy, and all counterparts for contributing to the success of his visit. During his three-day stay, the team met with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chief Cabinet Secretary, members of business, academia, research, and numerous other stakeholders. The Deputy President’s visit, which began on Sunday, will conclude on Wednesday, 19 March.