CaliToday (23/10/2025): Vietnam and South Africa have set an ambitious goal to elevate their bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership” within 2025, positioning their ties as a "model relationship for South-South cooperation."
The major announcement came as Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính held talks with South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa at the Government Office in Hanoi on the afternoon of October 23. President Ramaphosa is in Vietnam for a state visit from October 23-24, 2025.
Prime Minister Chính warmly welcomed President Ramaphosa, whom he called a "close friend," and fondly recalled his own "deep impressions" of South Africa during a 2019 visit. He congratulated the nation on its outstanding development and its important role in regional and global affairs.
A Partnership Built on Trust and Inspiration
Both leaders celebrated the "exceedingly positive development" of their bilateral ties, which are marked by high trust. PM Chính noted that South Africa has continuously been Vietnam's largest trading partner in Africa, affirming that the two nations are "good friends and good partners" whose international roles and prestige are both on the rise.
President Ramaphosa, in turn, expressed his delight at returning to Vietnam and witnessing firsthand the "outstanding and historic achievements" the country has secured after nearly 40 years of its Đổi Mới (Renovation) policy. He called Vietnam's success an "inspiration" for South Africa and other developing nations.
Affirming Vietnam as a "close, reliable partner" in Asia, President Ramaphosa praised Vietnam's effective development model and its "open, positive, and responsible" foreign policy.
Expanding Horizons: From Green Tech to G20
With economic, trade, and investment cooperation identified as the central focus for the future, both leaders agreed that vast potential for growth remains.
Prime Minister Chính emphasized that the two countries have complementary strengths and should expand cooperation into new, high-potential fields such as the green transition, digital transition, the creative economy, renewable energy, and climate change.
He also formally requested South Africa’s support for Vietnam to soon launch negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
President Ramaphosa echoed this vision, calling for enhanced business connections in mining, manufacturing, agriculture, electric vehicles (EVs), high-quality human resources, and maritime industries.
On the global stage, President Ramaphosa extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Chính to attend the 2025 G20 Summit.
PM Chính accepted the invitation, affirming Vietnam's readiness to "actively contribute" to the event's success, particularly on shared priorities like poverty and inequality reduction, food security, sustainable development, and the reform of global governance.
President Ramaphosa also thanked Vietnam for its leadership, congratulating the nation on its successful hosting of the opening for signature of the UN Convention on Cybercrime and supporting Vietnam's leading role in global digital transformation.
A Roadmap to a Strategic Future
To facilitate this new era of cooperation, the two leaders agreed on a concrete action plan. They pledged to further open markets for each other's goods and to accelerate negotiations to sign key agreements, including:
A Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement
A Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
A Visa Exemption Agreement for ordinary passport holders
The leaders will also jointly attend a Vietnam-South Africa Business Forum during the state visit.
Both sides agreed to intensify coordination at international forums, promote multilateralism, and contribute to peace and stability, solidifying their path toward becoming a model of cooperation for the Global South.