South Africa’s Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile said India remains a reliable partner as he pushed for deeper India-South Africa trade ties during a working visit to New Delhi.

Mashatile used the New Delhi leg of his six-day visit to invite Indian companies to expand investment in South Africa, especially in clean energy, pharmaceuticals, ICT, automotive components, infrastructure, agriculture and agro-processing.

Mashatile seeks stronger India-South Africa trade ties

Speaking during the fourth day of the visit, Mashatile said South Africa wants to move its relationship with India “from dialogue to action.” He met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and President Droupadi Murmu.

The discussions focused on trade, investment, skills development and infrastructure. Mashatile also said President Cyril Ramaphosa would attend the BRICS summit in India later this year.

South Africa pitches gateway role for Indian firms

Mashatile said India is among the top 10 investing countries in South Africa and urged more Indian businesses to use South Africa as a gateway to wider African markets.

He linked the opportunity to Africa’s Agenda 2063 and India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, while pointing to the African Continental Free Trade Area as a platform for broader business expansion.

Key outcomes from the New Delhi engagements included commitments from Indian companies to expand investments in clean energy, pharmaceuticals, ICT and automotive components.

The visit also produced progress on trade facilitation, including India’s notification for in-transit cold treatment of South African citrus exports.

Mashatile is scheduled to travel to Hyderabad for further meetings focused on pharmaceuticals and IT. Bilateral trade reached about $18.9 billion in India’s financial year 2024-25, according to the information provided.

During the press conference, Mashatile rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of “genocide” against white farmers in South Africa, while saying South Africa would continue engagement with Washington.

The visit matters because India and South Africa are trying to turn long-standing diplomatic ties into practical business outcomes, with trade, technology, clean energy and market access now central to the relationship.