Pretoria, South Africa, August 30, 2024 — President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to lead a South African delegation to the People’s Republic of China for a State Visit and to participate in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing from September 2-5, 2024. The visit follows an invitation from His Excellency President Xi Jinping and aims to strengthen the longstanding partnership between South Africa and China.
The State Visit will commence on Monday, September 2, 2024, with a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Ahead of the bilateral talks, President Ramaphosa will lay a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square, paying homage to the Chinese revolutionaries. This visit builds on the strong relationship between the two countries, marked by President Xi’s fourth State Visit to South Africa in August 2023, celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations.
China remains South Africa’s largest global trading partner, while South Africa is China’s leading trading partner in Africa. The total bilateral trade between the two nations increased significantly from R614 billion in 2022 to R692 billion in 2023.
During the State Visit, South Africa and China will sign several agreements aimed at boosting economic cooperation, particularly in human settlements, agriculture, and science and technology. On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, President Ramaphosa will focus on economic diplomacy by visiting Shenzhen, a major economic and technology hub in Guangdong Province. He will engage with industry leaders and tour the headquarters of two leading tech companies.
On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, President Ramaphosa will address the South Africa-China Business Forum, held on the sidelines of the FOCAC Summit in Beijing. The FOCAC Summit, scheduled for Thursday, September 5, 2024, will be held under the theme “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”
President Ramaphosa will co-chair a High-Level Panel Seminar with Mr. Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, focusing on industrialization, agricultural modernization, and green development in Africa. The summit will culminate in the issuance of a Declaration and Action Plan (2025-2027), outlining the strategic objectives for China-Africa cooperation over the next three years.
South Africa’s participation in the FOCAC Summit is driven by a commitment to advancing Africa’s development as envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. The South African delegation includes ministers from key portfolios, premiers from the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces, and senior government officials, underscoring the importance of this engagement.
