Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum leaders’ meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Sunday. (ANI via @narendramodi) | Photo credit: ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday on the sidelines of the G20 summit and the two leaders discussed cooperation in various areas including trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and food security.
“I had a great meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa during the G20 summit in Johannesburg,” Mr Modi wrote on social media after his meeting.
“We have explored the full range of India-South Africa partnerships, particularly in terms of strengthening trade, culture, investment linkages and diversifying cooperation in technology, skills, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and others,” he added.
Mr. Modi also congratulated the South African leader for his successful presidency of the G20 summit this year. He praised the efforts of the South African G20 group to move forward and build on the decisions taken during the G20 summit in New Delhi.
South Africa is hosting the first G20 summit to be held in Africa. The African Union became a member of the G20 during India’s chairmanship in 2023.
Earlier, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that PM Modi held a “warm and productive” meeting with President Ramaphosa.
“Leaders discussed starting exchange of youth delegations to strengthen technology and people-to-people ties,” Jaiswal said on social media after the meeting.
Citing the historical ties that underpin India-South Africa relations, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction with the progress made in various areas of cooperation, including trade and investment, food security, skill development, mining, youth exchange and people-to-people relations, a statement issued by the MEA said.
They discussed ways to improve cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and critical minerals, he added.
The two leaders welcomed the growing presence of Indian firms in South Africa and agreed to facilitate mutual investment, particularly in infrastructure, technology, innovation, mining and start-ups.
Prime Minister Modi thanked President Ramaphosa for relocating the cheetah from South Africa to India and invited him to join the India-led International Big Cat Alliance, the MEA said.
Leaders agreed to work together to strengthen the voice of the Global South. Prime Minister Modi appreciated South Africa’s initiative to host the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting.
President Ramaphosa has assured South Africa’s full support for India’s upcoming BRICS chairmanship in 2026.
This is Prime Minister Modi’s fourth official visit to South Africa after his bilateral visit in 2016 and later the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
South Africa is India’s largest trading partner in the African region. Bilateral trade between India and South Africa stood at $19.25 billion in 2023-24.
Indian businesses have invested over $1.3 billion in South Africa from April 2000 to September 2024. These investments cross various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, IT, automotive, banking and mining.
On Saturday, when he arrived at the G20 summit venue in Johannesburg, Mr Modi thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa “for the warm welcome and for organizing this important summit”.
In a speech at the opening session of the G20 Leaders’ Meeting, Mr. Modi called for a deep rethinking of the parameters of global development and proposed the creation of a G20 initiative to counter the drug-terror nexus and a global health team.
Mr. Modi is visiting Johannesburg from November 21 to 23 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Published – 23 Nov 2025 19:46 IST
