2026/06/02 17:22 pm
India and South Africa have shared a history of struggle against oppression and have fought their own wars to attain equality.
The bonds between the two nations solidified during the anti-apartheid movement, when India, being the first country to raise the issue of racial discrimination in South Africa at the United Nations in 1946. India further extended moral, political, and diplomatic support to the African National Congress (ANC) and Nelson Mandela’s liberation movement.
The Red Fort Declaration of 1997 cemented the historic relations between the nations. Over the past two decades, this partnership has flourished dramatically, with bilateral trade surging from just $4 billion in 2005 to nearly $20 billion in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and positioning India as one of South Africa's top five global trading partners and the largest Asian export market for South African goods.
Today, both countries enjoy economic cooperation, technology co-creation, skills exchange, investment in critical minerals beneficiation, and digital infrastructure development through BRICS, IBSA, G20, and the India–South Africa CEOs Forum.
The recent high-level engagements, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile's 2026 visit to India, called for deeper industrial collaboration, SMME linkage programmes, and joint ventures in fintech, health technology, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.
As both nations look toward the future, their relationship stands as a testament to how historical friendship can be transformed into a dynamic, forward-looking economic partnership that serves as a model for South–South cooperation and actively architects a more inclusive Global South economic order.
South Africa's Deputy President Paul Mashatile recently concluded a visit to India for the South Africa–India Technology, Trade and Investment Roundtable, where he called for deeper cooperation between the two nations. Bilateral trade has grown from $4 billion in 2005 to nearly $20 billion in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Strategic Priorities Proposed by South Africa
Three Flagship Outcomes Proposed
Major Commodities: India's Exports to South Africa
Major Commodities: India's Imports from South Africa
Role of MSMEs in India–South Africa Trade
MSME Collaboration, Strategic Framework & Future Outlook
MSMEs are the epicentre of India-South Africa economic ties. Agroprocessing (joint production and processing facilities), mining beneficiation (value-addition to critical minerals), renewable energy components (solar and green tech manufacturing), pharmaceuticals (contract manufacturing and API production), and digital services (IT-enabled services and fintech) have been identified as key sectors for collaboration.
The partnership has historical roots in MSME development, with a 2015 MoU signed between India and South Africa for developing youth enterprises, where MSMEs were identified as key to actualising the "Make in India" vision and remain critical for inclusive growth and job creation, per B20 South Africa.
Both nations strengthen their partnership through multilateral frameworks including BRICS, IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum), G20 (where South Africa's presidency facilitated Ramaphosa–Modi engagements), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association).
Looking ahead
Deputy President Mashatile's recent call for deeper cooperation emphasizes MSMEs as central to inclusive growth, with the proposed SA–India SMME Industrial Linkage Programme representing a major opportunity for Indian MSMEs to integrate into South African supply chains and jointly serve African markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The partnership's future lies in moving from dialogue to delivery through concrete flagship outcomes in industrial co-creation, technology joint ventures, and skills exchange—positioning both nations as active architects of a more inclusive Global South economic order.