South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa will arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Friday for a bilateral visit to Malaysia, and to attend the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits from Oct 26-28.
He will be accompanied by his spouse Tshepo Motsepe and several Cabinet ministers and senior government officials, said a statement from the Malaysian foreign ministry.
Ramaphosa will be accorded an official welcome at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya on Saturday, followed by a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Seri Perdana Complex.
Both leaders are expected to take stock of Malaysia-South Africa bilateral relations that dates back to 1993 and explore avenues to further strengthen cooperation.
“They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues including Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship in 2025 and South Africa’s G20 Presidency 2025, BRICS and Asean-South Africa Sectoral Dialogue Partnership. Both leaders are also expected to reaffirm both countries’ firm commitment to the Palestinian issue,” the statement noted.
Ramaphosa has also been invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit on Sunday and on Monday he will deliver his remarks at the 20th East Asia Summit as well as attend the gala dinner hosted by Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“President Ramaphosa is also scheduled to participate in the Asean Business and Investment Summit (ABIS), hosted by the Asean Business Advisory Council of Malaysia on Saturday,” according to the statement.
Also, while in Malaysia, the president will be conferred an Honorary Doctorate in International Relations by Universiti Malaya at a special convocation ceremony on Oct 27. The award recognises his visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to democracy and human rights, particularly his advocacy for the Global South and the Palestinian people.
In 2024, South Africa ranked as Malaysia’s largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade amounting to RM7.82 billion (US$1.71 billion).
Malaysia’s exports to South Africa were valued at RM3.84 billion (US$0.84 billion), while imports stood at RM3.98 billion (US$0.87 billion). These figures underscore the growing economic linkages and the vast potential for further cooperation between the two nations.
