South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam reaffirmed bilateral cooperation during a meeting in Johannesburg
South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile paid a courtesy call on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Johannesburg on 9 June 2026 during the latter’s working visit to South Africa. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to reaffirm bilateral relations and discuss avenues for expanding cooperation in key economic and development sectors.
President Shanmugaratnam was in South Africa to participate in the World Bank High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs and the Group of Thirty Spring Plenary Meeting in Cape Town. Against this backdrop, the engagement with Deputy President Mashatile formed part of broader efforts to strengthen political and economic ties between the two countries.
Discussions focused on enhancing collaboration in areas including trade, investment, skills development, governance, and economic transformation. Both leaders exchanged views on strategies to promote job creation, inclusive growth, and sustainable development while maintaining momentum in high-level engagements between their governments.
“Singapore remains our key economic partner and an important gateway to Southeast Asia, providing significant potential to expand cooperation in trade, investment, logistics, and financial services, as well as to enhance air and trade connectivity,” the Deputy President said during the meeting.
The meeting also reflected the steady growth of bilateral relations in recent years. Officials recalled the Official Visit by Mr Lee Hsien Loong to South Africa in 2023 and Deputy President Mashatile’s reciprocal visit to Singapore later that year. These engagements contributed to continued interactions on the sidelines of G20 and ASEAN-related meetings in 2024 and 2025.
In the area of regional cooperation, President Shanmugaratnam expressed support for deeper engagement between South Africa and ASEAN. He indicated his willingness to facilitate South Africa’s engagement with the regional economic bloc as a means of advancing trade and investment opportunities for both countries.
Source: South Africa Government Communication and Information System
