South Africa is seeking to expand trade and investment cooperation with Japan, with a strong focus on diversifying exports and unlocking new areas of collaboration, including energy and defence industries.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola made the remarks during bilateral talks with Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The meeting forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen long-standing diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries, which this year mark over a century of relations.
“This year marks 116 years of relations between South Africa and Japan. Over this period, our cooperation has expanded significantly across a wide range of sectors,” Lamola said.
He pointed to a series of high-level engagements that have reinforced the partnership, including visits by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as interactions linked to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.
“Deputy President Mashatile’s visit to Japan in March 2025 strengthened cooperation in political, economic, and social areas.
“President Ramaphosa’s participation in TICAD [Tokyo International Conference on African Development] 9 in Yokohama last year reinforced our shared commitment to Africa’s development priorities, aligned with the aspirations of Agenda 2063,” the Minister said.
Lamola said South Africa is prioritising Asia as a key region for trade diversification, with a particular focus on increasing agricultural and agro-processing exports.
“South Africa continues to prioritise diversification of trade and investment partnerships, with Asia as a key region. We see strong potential for expanding access for South African agro-processing and agricultural products to the Japanese and broader Asian markets,” he said.
Japan remains one of South Africa’s major economic partners, with continued investor confidence from Japanese companies.
“Japan remains a key economic partner, with significant investments in our economy. We value the confidence demonstrated by Japanese businesses, including Toyota’s recent R10.4 billion investment pledge at the 6th South African Investment Conference, supporting the transition to new energy vehicles,” Lamola said.
Beyond traditional sectors, Lamola highlighted emerging opportunities in defence cooperation following engagements between industry players from both countries.
“We are also excited about the prospects of venturing into new areas of cooperation, such as defence equipment, following a very successful engagement between South African and Japanese companies involved in this industry in September 2025. We trust that the momentum gained during this engagement will translate into tangible cooperation partnerships.”
He added that the talks come at a time of global uncertainty, making bilateral cooperation increasingly important.
“Today’s discussions will provide an important opportunity for open engagement on a range of issues in a rapidly evolving global environment,” Lamola said.
The bilateral meeting focused on key areas including energy, security, and critical minerals, while reaffirming Japan’s investment commitments under TICAD. – SAnews.gov.za
