The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Mr. Ronald Lamola, hosted the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi, for high-level bilateral talks in Pretoria aimed at strengthening diplomatic, economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.
The visit formed part of ongoing efforts to deepen relations between South Africa and Japan as both countries continue to expand cooperation across a wide range of sectors including trade, investment, industrial development, energy, innovation and regional cooperation.
Minister Motegi was received upon arrival by Ambassador David Malcolmson, Acting Deputy Director-General for Asia and the Middle East at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), before proceeding to the official venue where he was welcomed by Minister Ronald Lamola.
The two ministers then held a private tête-à-tête discussion before convening official bilateral talks supported by their respective delegations.
Following the engagements, both ministers conducted media briefings with members of the press before departing together to Mahlamba Ndlopfu, where Minister Motegi paid a courtesy visit to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
116 Years of South Africa–Japan Relations
This year marks 116 years of diplomatic relations between South Africa and Japan, reflecting a longstanding partnership that has grown significantly over more than a century.
Over the years, cooperation between the two nations has expanded across political, economic, developmental, scientific and cultural sectors, making Japan one of South Africa’s most important strategic partners in Asia.
The depth of bilateral relations has also been demonstrated through consistent high-level engagements between the two governments.
Among the recent milestones highlighted during discussions was Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s official visit to Japan in March 2025, which strengthened cooperation in political, economic and social sectors.
The talks also reflected on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s participation in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) held in Yokohama in 2025, which reaffirmed shared commitments to Africa’s development priorities in line with Agenda 2063.
South Africa also highlighted the importance of continued cooperation with Japan in advancing Southern African Development Community (SADC) priorities, particularly during South Africa’s interim and upcoming SADC Chairship.
Another important milestone referenced during the engagement was the inaugural meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held in Johannesburg on the margins of the G20 Summit in 2025. The meeting reaffirmed commitments towards strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The recent visit by the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in January 2026 was also acknowledged as an important step in advancing development cooperation aligned with South Africa’s national priorities.
Expanding Trade and Investment Cooperation
Economic cooperation featured prominently during the bilateral talks, with South Africa reiterating its commitment to diversifying trade and investment partnerships, particularly with Asia as a strategic growth region.
South Africa highlighted the strong potential for expanding market access for South African agro-processing and agricultural products into Japan and broader Asian markets.
Japan remains one of South Africa’s key economic partners and investors, with Japanese companies maintaining a significant presence across several sectors of the South African economy.
Particular attention was drawn to Toyota’s recent R10.4 billion investment pledge announced during the 6th South African Investment Conference, aimed at supporting South Africa’s transition towards new energy vehicles and industrial innovation.
The discussions further explored opportunities to strengthen industrial cooperation, manufacturing partnerships and technological collaboration between the two nations.
Exploring New Areas of Strategic Cooperation
Beyond traditional sectors of cooperation, South Africa and Japan also explored opportunities in emerging strategic industries, including defence equipment and advanced manufacturing.
This follows a successful engagement held in September 2025 between South African and Japanese companies operating within the defence industry.
Both sides expressed optimism that the momentum generated from those engagements would translate into tangible partnerships and expanded industrial cooperation between companies from both countries.
The ministers also used the opportunity to exchange views on global and regional developments within an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving international environment.
Strengthening Africa–Japan Relations
The bilateral engagement also reinforced the broader importance of Africa–Japan cooperation, particularly through platforms such as TICAD, which continue to support sustainable development, economic growth, infrastructure development and regional integration across the African continent.
South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with Japan in promoting peace, stability, development and multilateral cooperation within Africa and globally.
The meeting further demonstrated the shared commitment by Pretoria and Tokyo to deepen diplomatic engagement, strengthen economic cooperation and build long-term strategic partnerships that support inclusive development and mutual prosperity.
As South Africa and Japan continue to expand their relationship, the bilateral talks between Ministers Lamola and Motegi marked another important milestone in advancing one of South Africa’s most significant partnerships in Asia.
