The President's visit opens a new chapter in South Africa-Vietnam relations.

At the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, will pay a State visit to Vietnam from October 23-24. The Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Pretoria, South Africa, interviewed the Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa, Hoang Sy Cuong, ahead of the visit. The following is the content of the interview:

Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Sy Cuong. Photo: Hong Minh - Correspondent of Vietnam News Agency in Pretoria, South Africa.

Ambassador, the State visit of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Vietnam marks a special event, the first visit by a South African President in almost two decades. Could you share the significance and focus of this visit for bilateral relations between Vietnam and South Africa?

The Vietnam-South Africa relationship is deeply rooted in history, originating from the historic meeting between representatives of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the African National Congress (ANC) at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1955. Vietnam's victory in the struggle for national liberation and reunification became a powerful source of inspiration and a valuable lesson for the South African people in their fight against the Apartheid regime and their progress towards democracy in 1994. Since establishing diplomatic relations on December 22, 1993, the two countries have continuously nurtured their friendship, achieving significant accomplishments in many fields. As leading partners in Southeast Asia and Africa, South Africa is currently the only African country with which Vietnam has established a Partnership for Cooperation and Development.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's state visit to Vietnam, following his visit nine years ago as Vice President, marks the first visit by a South African President in 18 years (since President Thabo Mbeki's visit in 2007). This visit will be a significant milestone in bilateral relations, following the historic telephone conversation between General Secretary To Lam and the President on April 22nd. The event demonstrates the special importance and determination of both countries to elevate bilateral relations. The visit not only strengthens traditional friendship but also opens opportunities for leaders of both countries to comprehensively assess cooperative relations, guide the promotion of economic , trade, and investment cooperation, and explore new potentials, aiming for a more comprehensive and deeper relationship in the future.

Given the special significance of the visit, what specific results does the Ambassador expect to achieve, and what are the strategic directions for promoting Vietnam-South Africa relations?

President Ramaphosa's state visit is expected to create a significant turning point, strengthening and expanding Vietnam-South Africa relations in many aspects: Firstly, the visit will lay a solid foundation for elevating the bilateral framework, transforming political will into tangible cooperation results, especially in the economic, trade, and investment sectors. Secondly, both sides will promote concrete commitments, accelerate negotiations, and soon sign cooperation agreements in priority areas, while expanding into new fields such as green energy, e-commerce, and innovation. Thirdly, on the international stage, the visit is an opportunity for the two countries to reaffirm shared values, uphold multilateralism, respect international law, and support reforms of global institutions towards a fairer and more positive direction. Vietnam expressed strong support for South Africa's role as G20 Chair in 2025, thanked South Africa for inviting the Vietnamese Prime Minister to attend this important event, and pledged to make a positive contribution to the success of the conference.

President Ramaphosa's visit, combined with diplomatic activities in Southeast Asia and participation in the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), affirms South Africa's desire to strengthen comprehensive relations with the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam.

What areas of cooperation can Vietnam and South Africa explore to create new impetus for growth in bilateral relations, and what are the outstanding highlights in economic cooperation between the two countries?

Vietnam, with its impressive economic growth rate, and South Africa, Africa's largest economy with strong development potential, possess many complementary advantages. Bilateral economic relations have achieved remarkable results, with trade turnover increasing from US$192 million in 2007 to nearly US$1.8 billion in 2024, remaining stable even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam exports key products to South Africa such as electronics, mobile phones, textiles, footwear, and agricultural products (coffee, rice, cashew nuts, pepper), while importing minerals, coal, fruits, timber, and chemicals from South Africa.

To maximize potential, both sides can focus on new areas of cooperation such as: green energy and a just energy transition, leveraging South Africa's experience in renewable energy and Vietnam's in solar energy development; e-commerce, banking and finance, and innovation, taking advantage of the two countries' gateway positions in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa; and tourism and investment, areas with significant growth potential, especially as both countries participate in regional free trade agreements. Connecting businesses and promoting investment projects will be key to elevating bilateral economic relations to a new level, commensurate with the excellent political relationship.

In the context of globalization and the need for sustainable development, how does the Ambassador assess the potential for cooperation between Vietnam and South Africa in the areas of green energy, climate finance, and a just energy transition? What can the two countries learn from each other?

Vietnam and South Africa, with their strong commitment to sustainable development, possess significant potential for cooperation in green energy, climate finance, and a just energy transition. South Africa, with its $8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) program, is leading the way in renewable energy and green hydrogen development, particularly through the JET IP Investment Plan (2023-2027), creating thousands of green jobs in coal-mining areas such as Mpumalanga province. Vietnam, with its $15.5 billion JETP and Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), is promoting wind and solar energy and supporting communities in transitioning away from coal. The two countries can cooperate in specific areas such as: sharing technology in green hydrogen production and smart grid development; co-financing green funds; and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in sustainable value chains. Regarding mutual learning, Vietnam could refer to the model of the South African President's Climate Commission, where stakeholders work together to develop policies for a just transition and create green jobs.

Conversely, South Africa could learn from Vietnam's "solar energy boom," with 16 GW of installed capacity in two years thanks to competitive bidding mechanisms and digital transformation, helping to reduce energy poverty and sustain economic growth. This cooperation would not only strengthen the Partnership for Cooperation and Development but could also contribute to creating a South-South cooperation model.

Thank you very much, Ambassador!

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/chuyen-tham-cua-tong-thong-mo-ra-tam-cao-moi-cho-quan-he-nam-phi-viet-nam-20251022195019307.htm