South Africa and India Light the Way for South-South Cooperation

From 29 May to 3 June 2026, South African Vice President Paul Mashatile undertook a state visit to India to boost trade and investment as well as advance the #GlobalSouth agenda. VP Mashatile was accompanied by Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina, and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Thandi Moraka.

As two major emerging markets and developing economies (#EMDE) in Africa and Asia respectively, South Africa and India sit together in several fora including G20, IORA, BRICS and IBSA. As such, the South Africa – India ties could potentially serve as a beacon for South-South Cooperation.

The relationship is founded on a long shared history of struggle for freedom and independence. Additionally, South Africa has a large and dynamic Indian diaspora, which contribute significantly to the local economy and to reinforce ties between the two countries.

The bilateral talks focused on three flagship initiatives:

Pharma and Tech Manufacturing. The two countries agreed to establish two pharma and hitech manufacturing bases: one in South Africa and one in India. The South Africa industrial park ambitions to serve the Southern Africa Development Countries (SADC) bloc, and even extend to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

SME Partnership. Both sides will launch a partnership dedicated for #SME by 2027. The cooperation will work to boost trade and investment for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on both sides of the Indian Ocean. Both sides agree to foster infrastructure enhancement and digital technologies in particular to give a boost to MSME in both countries.

Youth Technology Skilling. Both countries will work to create training tracks for youth, focusing on Artificial Intelligence (#AI) and advanced manufacturing.

For the last three years, the bilateral trade volume has been around USD 18 billion annually, with South Africa enjoying around USD 2 billion in trade surplus. South Africa is the largest trading partner of India in Africa, as India imports substantial amounts of # CriticalMinerals and precious metals from South Africa, including platinum, manganese, and gold.

The South African delegation visited targeted sites, such as the state-of-the-art Jindal steel plant. During the visit, VP Paul Mashatile met with his Indian counterpart Chandrapuram Radhakrishnan and the Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. VP Mashatile exchanged views on the current geopolitical situation and the implications for BRICS and the Global South.