By Marcus Moloko
President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted Mozambique President Daniel Francisco Chapo in Pretoria this week, to reaffirm the bond between the two countries and plan new paths for cooperation in energy, trade, and security.
Speaking after their tête-à-tête, Ramaphosa lauded the constructive nature of the discussions.
“This has been a working visit. We’ve had very extensive discussions on matters of mutual interest to both countries that span the economy, security, as well as some social issues. And we’ve also taken an opportunity to see how we can continue and deepen cooperation between the two countries at an investment level.”
The engagement builds on the 4th Session of the Bi-National Commission held in Maputo in December 2025, which reinforced bilateral frameworks across multiple sectors.
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Ramaphosa said ministers from both countries would soon address trade restrictions to ensure smoother economic integration.
“Our ministers are going to discuss how best we deal with those. We want to assure our South African business people that discussions are going to be quite detailed in expanding trade between our two countries in many, many ways.”
Against the backdrop of regional economic pressures and rising concerns over migration and employment, Ramaphosa said, “South Africans inherently are not against people from other nations. We are one people. We have always been one people. But we must also pay heed to the concerns that are being raised by South Africans. President Chapo and myself agreed that we should work together… join hands to find solutions.”
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“We also say to employers in South Africa that we’ve passed a law that people who do not have the necessary work permits in South Africa, yes, should not be employed. At the same time, we encourage all people from other nations to make sure that they have proper documentation to be in South Africa, like South Africans need to have proper documentation to be in other countries.”
Ramaphosa described the meeting as positive and constructive.
“We’ve had really good discussions that are going to open up many opportunities for people on both sides.”
