Riyaz Patel
President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari who is in the country on a state visit.
Buhari’s visit marks the first incoming State Visit to South Africa under the sixth administration.
Pretoria and Abuja’s somewhat sound relations that were formally established immediately following South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, have recently been strained as a result of xenophobic-linked violence which rocked parts of the country early last month.
To soothe tensions, President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched a team of special envoys to several African capitals to convey South Africa’s apologies over the attacks on foreigners, and to deliver a message of solidarity.
The team led by the former Minister in the presidency, Jeff Radebe, kicked off the tour in Abuja.
Formal relations have been conducted through a Bi-National Commission (BNC), established in 1999 were elevated in 2016 to be presided over at Heads of State level.
The BNC has over the years recorded remarkable achievements, and provides a useful platform for enhancing bilateral relations, notably on the economic front, South Africa’s presidency said in a statement ahead of Buhari’s visit.
“More than thirty (30) agreements which have been negotiated and signed since the establishment of the BNC… These include the Bilateral Trade Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Economic and Technical Cooperation and an Agreement on Cooperation in Defence.”
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There is a also significant footprint of South African companies currently doing business in Nigeria in various sectors, mainly in telecommunications, banking, retail, hospitality, mining, tourism, agriculture and construction and tourism.
The total value of trade between South Africa and Nigeria stood at R50.8bn in 2018, the presidency said.
Major South African products exported to Nigeria include machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral products, and chemical Products.
Goods imported from Nigeria include mineral products,base metals and articles, plastics, rubber, vegetable products, machinery and mechanical appliances.
A feature of the visit will be a Joint Business Forum with a focus on trade and investment.
Last week, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo paid a courtesy call on President Ramaphosa, lauding his initiative to send envoys across Africa to ease tensions.
