Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay an official state visit to South Africa that will commence August 22 with talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the capital, Pretoria. The visit will run through and beyond the Aug. 22-24 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg. Both Presidents are to be accompanied by ministers, business delegations, and so forth. President Ramaphosa’s office said August 7 that the talks will strengthen bilateral ties, and that memoranda of agreement will be signed.
The state visit comes at a strategic time for both South Africa-China relations, and for the efforts of BRICS, which is working to establish a new, world economic and financial system that will set up new, non-dollar-denominated trade; expand instruments for investment, such as the New Development Bank; and contribute to the development of Africa.
China-South Africa trade and investment is considerable; China is South Africa’s largest trading partner. In 2021, China’s exports to South Africa totalled $20.6 billion while China’s imports from South Africa stood at US$32.54 billion. This two-way trade amount between the countries is larger than the trade between the U.S. and several Ibero-American nations.
Significant investments by Chinese firms in South Africa include the China First Automotive assembly plant in Coega Industrial Park, a Hisense Group white goods factory (producing large consumer products), and a Hebei Jidong Development Group cement plant.
South Africa is seeking China’s aid in upgrading Eskom, the state-run electricity generating system, and for mining skills and investment. South Africa has the world’s largest reserves of the critical platinum-group metals. In 2019, South Africa launched a national platinum strategy which aims to create a million jobs and contribute the equivalent of US$441 billion to South Africa’s economy by 2050.
China and South Africa can employ the development of South Africa as a lever for developing the entire continent.
Xi has maintained close personal relations with South Africa since he became President in 2013. His first visit was in March 2013, when he met with then-President Jacob Zuma and also attended the 5th BRICS Summit. This was followed by the second state visit in December 2015 and the third in July 2018, where he also attended the 10th BRICS Summit.
Recall that on July 28, as part of this process, South African President and leading members of his cabinet, held a warm and productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of his cabinet, at the Russia-Africa summit held in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the matter of the development of South Africa, and of Africa as a whole.
