PM Modi Meets South African President Ramaphosa at G20; Focus on Trade, Critical Minerals & AI Cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. The leaders discussed strengthening cooperation across several key sectors, including trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and food security.

According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the meeting was “warm and productive,” with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepen strategic ties. Discussions also included expanding collaboration in skill development and initiating youth exchange programmes to boost people-to-people and technology partnerships.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated South Africa for successfully hosting the first-ever G20 Summit in Africa and commended President Ramaphosa’s leadership during the 2024 presidency.

India and South Africa share a strong economic partnership. South Africa is India’s largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade reaching USD 19.25 billion in 2023–24. Indian investments in South Africa stand at over USD 1.3 billion across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, IT, banking, and mining.

This is Modi’s fourth official visit to South Africa, following previous visits in 2016, 2018, and 2023. India also played a key role in facilitating the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent G20 member during its presidency last year.

During his address at the G20 opening session, Modi called for redefining global development priorities and proposed initiatives to tackle drug-terror financing and strengthen global healthcare systems.

The Prime Minister is in Johannesburg from November 21 to 23 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit.