Ninth Meeting of the South Africa-France Forum for Political Dialogue

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Ronald Lamola, has arrived in France to co-chair the Ninth Forum for Political Dialogue alongside the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Mr Jean-Noël Barrot.

This bilateral engagement will enable the two Ministers to review progress and discuss key issues of mutual interest, further strengthening the strategic partnership between South Africa and France.

South Africa enjoys robust trade relations and significant investment flows with France, which remains one of its largest trading partners within the European Union. The two nations also collaborate strategically in critical areas such as education and skills development science, technology, arts, and culture, energy cooperation, health and defence.

The Forum will further provide an opportunity for the Ministers to exchange perspectives on pressing global and regional geopolitical developments, underscoring their shared commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based international order.

This dialogue reaffirms the enduring partnership between South Africa and France, rooted in mutual respect and a common vision for advancing peace, sustainable development, and innovation.

Per Kind Favour of APO

Africa Fact: On bling culture, one seventeenth century visitor to southern African empire of Monomotapa, that ruled over this vast region, wrote that: “The people dress in various ways: at court of the Kings their grandees wear cloths of rich silk, damask, satin, gold and silk cloth; these are three widths of satin, each width four covados [2.64m], each sewn to the next, sometimes with gold lace in between, trimmed on two sides, like a carpet, with a gold and silk fringe, sewn in place with a two fingers’ wide ribbon, woven with gold roses on silk.”
Africa Fact: Southern Africans mined gold on an epic scale. One modern writer tells us that: “The estimated amount of gold ore mined from the entire region by the ancients was staggering, exceeding 43 million tons. The ore yielded nearly 700 tons of pure gold which today would be valued at over $7.5 billion.”