DURBAN - Ties between South Africa and its ally India will be further strengthened when President Cyril Ramaphosa pays a state visit this week.
Accompanied by First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe, ministers, and a strong business delegation, Ramaphosa was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a guest of honour for Republic Day.
This will be Ramaphosa’s first visit to India as head of state, and follows on the heels of Modi’s visits to South Africa in July 2016 and July last year.
Ramaphosa will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan (official home of India’s president) tomorrow and Modi will, the same evening, host a state banquet in honour of his visiting counter- part.
Ramaphosa will also have a bilateral meeting and hold delegation- level talks with Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The Presidency said South Africa and India enjoy a strategic partnership and bilateral relations anchored by a “deep and shared history of friendship and solidarity”.
“India is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner in Asia and ranks among South Africa’s top 10 trade partners.
“In 2017, bilateral trade reached R107billion. Trade for the period January to November last year totalled R101bn,” said the Presidency.
Indian investments in South Africa stand at $8bn (R110bn) and have created an estimated 18000 jobs.
“There are 130 Indian companies that have invested in South Africa, including Tata (vehicles and hotels), Mahindra (vehicles), Cipla (pharmaceuticals) and the Bank of India.
South Africa’s total investment in India increased to R10.3bn (about $800m) in 2017.
South African companies that have invested in India, include Sasol, First-Rand, Old Mutual, Acsa, Shoprite and Nando’s.”
The two BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries also share a common vision on a range of global issues and domestic challenges.
“The two nations will further solidify relations with agreements on higher education and training, arts and culture, home affairs, defence and energy, among others, to be signed,” said the Presidency.
Ramaphosa will meet Indian and South African captains of industry at the high-level segment of the India-South Africa Business Forum with the objective to grow business ties between the countries. He is also expected to deliver the inaugural Ibsa (India-Brazil-South Africa) Gandhi-Mandela memorial lecture presided over by Shri Venkaiah Naidu, vice-president.