The Embassy of South Africa in the Philippines is continuing efforts to deepen bilateral relations and expand cooperation between South Africa and the Philippines, following a working visit by Ambassador BN Radebe-Netshitenzhe to Ilocos Norte from 7–9 August 2026.
The visit focused on exploring opportunities for cooperation across a range of sectors, while strengthening engagement with provincial and local government leaders, business stakeholders, academic institutions and national government representatives.
Ambassador Engages Ilocos Norte Leadership
During the working visit, Ambassador Radebe-Netshitenzhe met with Ilocos Norte Governor Hon. Cecilia Araneta Marcos, where discussions centred on potential areas of bilateral cooperation and opportunities to strengthen South Africa–Philippines relations at the subnational level.
The Ambassador also met with Laoag City Mayor Hon. James Bryan Alcid and officials of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Ilocos Norte Laoag Chapter.
These engagements provided an opportunity to identify areas where stronger institutional, economic and people-to-people links could contribute to mutually beneficial cooperation between South Africa and the Philippines.
Economic Cooperation Takes Centre Stage
Economic diplomacy formed an important component of the Ambassador’s programme in Ilocos Norte.
Ambassador Radebe-Netshitenzhe participated in an Economic Forum hosted at Mariano Marcos State University, where she met with the university’s President, Dr. Virgilio Julius Paraoan Manzano Jr.
The forum provided a platform for dialogue around economic opportunities and broader cooperation, while also highlighting the potential role of academic institutions in supporting international partnerships, knowledge exchange and economic development.
Strengthening economic and commercial relations remains an important dimension of South Africa’s diplomatic engagement in the Philippines, particularly through the identification of new opportunities for trade, investment, education and institutional cooperation.
Strengthening People-to-People and Institutional Relations
Beyond government-to-government engagement, the visit highlighted the importance of building connections between communities, businesses, universities and other institutions.
Engagements with local authorities, the business community and Mariano Marcos State University demonstrate the value of provincial and local partnerships in complementing broader diplomatic relations between South Africa and the Philippines.
Such engagements can create platforms for knowledge sharing, business networking and cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Participation in Gov. Roque B. Ablan Sr. Day
The Ambassador also attended the 120th Gov. Roque B. Ablan Sr. Day Celebration on 9 August 2026, further strengthening South Africa’s engagement with the people and leadership of Ilocos Norte.
During the celebration, Ambassador Radebe-Netshitenzhe met with Hon. Dr. Arsenio Balisacan, Secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Economy, Planning and Development.
The engagement provided another opportunity to advance dialogue on development and economic cooperation and to strengthen relationships between South Africa and key Philippine stakeholders.
Building on South Africa–Philippines Relations
The working visit to Ilocos Norte reflects the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement in strengthening South Africa–Philippines relations.
By engaging provincial leaders, local government, business organisations, academic institutions and national government representatives, the visit demonstrated the potential for diplomacy to extend beyond traditional government-to-government relations and create practical opportunities for cooperation.
The Embassy of South Africa in the Philippines continues to explore avenues for stronger partnerships that can contribute to increased economic cooperation, institutional exchanges and people-to-people relations between the two countries.
