Deputy President Sipokosa Paulus Mashatile has successfully concluded his working visit to Japan aimed at reaffirming the strong cooperation between South Africa and Japan in areas of mutual interest.
As the two countries mark 115 years of well established diplomatic relations, the year 2025 also marks a special milestone, with both countries chairing important multilateral organisations – South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9) Summit led by Japan.
During the working visit, the Deputy President met with Japanese Government officials, including paying a courtesy call on His Excellency Mr Ishiba Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan and Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The Deputy President expressed his appreciation for Japan’s support for South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 and looked forward to collaborating with Japan to ensure that TICAD-9 is a success.
“Since 1993, Japan has been hosting TICAD, which focuses on Japan’s support of African development through public and private support of initiatives aimed at peace and stability, and growth in the private sector, infrastructure, human resources, climate change, and education. Indeed, South Africa and Africa have a reliable and respectable ally in Japan,” said the Deputy President.
The Deputy President also met with the Japan-African Union Parliamentary Freindship League with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and parliamentary cooperation between South Africa and Japan.
The meeting emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation and highlighted the importance of the Japan-African Union Parliamentary Friendship League in fostering stronger ties between Japan and African countries.
The Deputy President also had an opportunity to engage with the representatives of the Japanese business community which included Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), Keidenran and the Association of the African Economy and Development in Japan Committee (AFRECO), with the objective of promoting trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.
During these engagements, the Deputy President highlighted South Africa’s favourable business environment, skilled workforce and strategic location, making it an attractive destination for Japanese investment.
Addressing concerns raised by the Japanese business community, the Deputy President reported on progress made in reducing the backlog and fast racking visa applications, government’s commitment to ending loadshedding and ensuring safety for citizens and investors.
The Deputy President is confident that these engagements will yield positive results, further strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
“As this delegation goes back to South Africa, we have a collective mandate to bring to life some of the discussions and agreements that we have had with our counterparts and other stakeholders here. We are motivated and will do everything it takes to make sure another 115 years, with sustainable economic, cultural and people-to-people benefits for the people of both our countries.” said Deputy President Mashatile.
The Deputy President was supported by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Thandi Moraka; the Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie; the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane; the Minister of Agriculture Mr John Steenhuisen; the Minister of Trade Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau; and the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Nomalungelo Gina.
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