President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday host Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto on a State Visit to South Africa, with the two leaders expected to strengthen bilateral relations, expand trade and investment opportunities, and advance cooperation on regional and continental priorities.
The visit, taking place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, marks a reciprocal State Visit following engagements between the two countries in 2021 and 2022. It comes as South Africa and Kenya seek to elevate their longstanding relationship to a Strategic Partnership, reflecting the growing importance of ties between Africa's two leading economies.
“The strategic importance of the bilateral relations between the two countries underlines South Africa’s intentions to elevate the nature of the relationship to that of a Strategic Partnership,” the Presidency said in a statement.
South Africa regards Kenya as a key strategic partner in East Africa, while Kenya remains South Africa's largest trading partner on the continent outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Official talks between President Ramaphosa and President Ruto are expected to focus on bilateral relations, economic cooperation, regional stability, continental development and multilateral issues.
The discussions will also assess progress made through the Joint Commission for Cooperation, the primary mechanism guiding relations between the two countries.
Economic ties are expected to feature prominently during the visit. South Africa exported goods worth approximately R11.1 billion to Kenya in 2025, while imports from Kenya amounted to about R464 million.
More than 75 South African companies currently operate in Kenya across sectors including financial services, information and communications technology, energy, logistics, retail and hospitality.
The two countries have already concluded numerous agreements across sectors such as agriculture, education, tourism, transport, defence, water and sanitation, and trade. During the State Visit, six additional Memoranda of Understanding are expected to be signed, bringing the total number of bilateral agreements to 34.
The leaders are also expected to explore opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), infrastructure development projects such as the LAPSSET Corridor, as well as investments in renewable energy and logistics.
Following the official talks, President Ramaphosa and President Ruto will participate in a signing ceremony and media briefing before attending a South Africa-Kenya Business Forum at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.
The forum will bring together government and business leaders to deepen economic cooperation, facilitate partnerships and identify new avenues for trade and investment.
The visit is also expected to build on growing people-to-people relations between the two countries, supported by measures such as Kenya's 90-day visa waiver arrangement, which has helped boost tourism, business travel and cultural exchanges.
As South Africa and Kenya continue to strengthen their partnership, the State Visit is expected to reaffirm the two countries' shared commitment to advancing economic growth, regional integration and Africa's development agenda. – SAnews.gov.za
