President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa will pay a state visit to Việt Nam from October 23–24, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit will be made at the invitation of State President Lương Cường.

This is the first visit to Việt Nam by a South African President in nearly 20 years.

Việt Nam and South Africa established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1993.

The two countries are maintaining several cooperation mechanisms, including the Inter-Governmental Partnership Forum, the Joint Trade Committee, and the Defence Policy Dialogue.

In terms of trade, South Africa is Việt Nam’s largest trading partner and export market in Africa, with two-way trade in 2024 reaching nearly US$1.8 billion.

In the time ahead, both sides can further exploit the potential fields of cooperation such as mineral extraction, engineering, metallurgy, steel production, renewable energy, textiles and garments, leather and footwear, fertilisers, processed food, and supporting industries.

As of July 2025, South Africa had 20 valid investment projects in Việt Nam with a total registered capital of US$0.88 million, ranking 109th among 151 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam had four outbound investment projects in South Africa with a total capital of US$8.86 million, ranking 45th among 84 countries and territories where Vietnamese enterprises have invested.

The two countries have also maintained close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums. — VNA/VNS