Japan-Republic of South Africa Relations
Foreign Minister MOTEGI Pays a Courtesy Call on Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa
May 5, 2026
On May 5 commencing at 10:10 a.m. local time (5:10 p.m. on same day, Japan time) for 45 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, during his visit to South Africa, paid a courtesy call on Honourable Mr. Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA, President of South Africa.
- President Ramaphosa expressed his welcome for Minister MOTEGI’s visit and stated that Japan is a particularly important country for South Africa, sharing values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, and that he wished to further develop the relationship under the turbulent global situation. He further stated that he wished to further develop bilateral relations including economic relationship. In response, Minister MOTEGI stated that South Africa, which shares fundamental values and principles such as freedom, and the rule of law—the core principles of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific(FOIP)”—is an important partner of Japan, and expressed his desire to continue cooperating with South Africa toward maintaining and strengthening a rules-based, free and open international order.
- Both sides exchanged views on a wide range of fields from economic security encompassing the strengthening of supply chain resilience for critical minerals, decarbonization and energy, and investment, and concurred to elevate bilateral relations to new heights.
- Minister MOTEGI explained the updated FOIP and stated that Japan is a long-term, reliable partner for Africa, including South Africa, and shared Japan's perspective on this matter. Both sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in international forums.