South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a new era in economic relations between South Africa and India, pointing to significant opportunities for deepening cooperation across investment, trade, industrial development and sustainable growth. Addressing the South Africa-India Roundtable in New Delhi, held on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Ramaphosa urged businesses from both nations to move beyond policy dialogue and translate discussions into commercially viable projects and long-term investments.
Key Sectors Identified for Cooperation
Ramaphosa outlined several specific sectors where he saw strong potential for expanded collaboration, including renewable energy, green hydrogen, critical minerals, infrastructure, agriculture and digital innovation. He drew a direct connection between the two countries' complementary strengths, noting that South Africa's mineral resources paired with India's manufacturing capabilities could create meaningful opportunities in developing electric vehicles, batteries and other industrial products, a pairing that reflects a broader global trend of resource-rich nations seeking manufacturing partnerships to capture more value from the clean-energy supply chain rather than exporting raw minerals alone.
An Invitation to Indian Infrastructure Investment
Ramaphosa also extended a direct invitation to Indian companies to participate in South Africa's infrastructure development pipeline. He pointed to 195 strategic integrated projects that South Africa has identified, with a combined value exceeding $100 billion, spanning transport networks, renewable energy, water infrastructure and hospitals. The scale of this pipeline suggests South Africa is actively seeking international capital and expertise to accelerate infrastructure development across multiple sectors simultaneously, rather than pursuing a narrower, sector-specific investment strategy.
Digital Economy as a Growing Area of Cooperation
Beyond traditional infrastructure and industrial sectors, Ramaphosa highlighted the expanding potential for digital economy cooperation between the two countries. He referenced the new Cape Town site of Indian business services company Atain, noting that the operation is expected to grow its workforce in South Africa from 1,500 to more than 2,000 young people, offering a concrete, already-underway example of the kind of investment he was encouraging other Indian companies to consider.
Building Institutional Partnerships for the Long Term
Ramaphosa further called for stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions, skills development organisations and businesses from both countries, arguing that deeper institutional partnerships would help build capabilities and create new opportunities specifically for young people. This emphasis on institutional and educational cooperation suggests a recognition that sustainable economic partnership requires investment in human capital and skills development, not just capital projects and trade agreements alone.
Measuring Partnership by Outcomes, Not Agreements
Summarising his broader message, Ramaphosa offered a pointed observation about how the success of the bilateral relationship should ultimately be judged. "The strength of the partnership between our countries is not measured by the agreements we sign but by the impact we achieve," he said, a statement that implicitly calls for follow-through on the sectors and opportunities he outlined, rather than allowing the roundtable's discussions to remain at the level of diplomatic intent.
A Roundtable Set Against the Backdrop of BRICS
The South Africa-India Roundtable took place as global leaders gathered in New Delhi for the broader BRICS Summit, providing businesses and policymakers from both countries a dedicated forum to explore new avenues for bilateral investment, trade and industrial cooperation outside the summit's main multilateral proceedings.
Building on a Longstanding Relationship
Ramaphosa's remarks reflect an effort by both India and South Africa to build on their already longstanding economic relationship by sharpening their focus on sectors tied to the global energy transition, critical minerals, manufacturing, infrastructure and digital innovation, areas that align closely with both countries' current economic priorities and the broader themes shaping this year's BRICS agenda under India's chairship.
