SANDTON (South Africa), Nov 21 (NNN-SANEWS) — President Cyril Ramaphosa, together with President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Commission Dr Ursula von der Leyen, have reaffirmed the deepening of the South Africa–European Union partnership at a trilateral meeting held ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Thursday’s engagement in Sandton followed a series of previous meetings between the leaders, including at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), the European Union’s (EU) Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
The leaders reviewed progress on the key political and economic outcomes agreed to at the 8th South Africa – EU Summit held in March 2025, in Cape Town.
The meeting also took place ahead of the 7th African Union (AU)–EU Summit scheduled for Nov 24–25 in Luanda, Angola.
In the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and growing challenges to multilateralism, the leaders reiterated their commitment to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, Sudan, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
They further recalled the importance of multilateralism, the centrality of the United Nations Charter and the need for a renewed global financing framework for sustainable development.
The leaders welcomed the signature of the EU–South Africa Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP), noting that it will create new trade and investment opportunities while supporting decarbonisation objectives through a tailored, flexible and targeted approach that reflects shared priorities.
“In addition to facilitating trade and investment in clean supply chains, this partnership will also serve as a forum for regulatory cooperation between the EU and South Africa in areas of mutual interest,” the joint communique of the leaders gathering said.
The trio further welcomed the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding for a Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Minerals and Metals Value Chains, which will promote value addition and beneficiation of critical minerals close to their source of extraction and enhance economic and industrial integration between South Africa and the EU.
Delivering on commitments made earlier this year, South Africa and the EU launched the South Africa–EU Energy Dialogue in September 2025 and agreed that it will be elevated to Ministerial level in 2026.
The Dialogue will deepen collaboration on transmission infrastructure, clean energy technologies and additional just transition initiatives, and both sides reiterated the commitment to working together on the future export of Sustainable Aviation Fuel to the EU.
On agriculture and market access, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to facilitate bilateral trade in animals, plants and their products.
“South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to enable [the] trade of poultry, including through a conclusive discussion on regionalisation, as well as further assess and process EU market access applications based on the information to be provided by exporting countries as a matter of priority,” the communique read.
The EU signalled its readiness to advance the listing of South Africa as eligible to export shelf-stable composite products, and both sides committed to identifying tangible deliverables for the next Trade and Investment Dialogue.
They commended the agreement to facilitate bilateral cumulation of batteries through a temporary derogation from the Rules of Origin under the EU–Southern African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement.
The derogation aims to promote battery manufacturing in both markets and will enable South Africa to use batteries made in the EU and South Africa when exporting electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to the European Union.
The EU announced five projects under its nearly €12-billion Team Europe Global Gateway Investment Package for South Africa. These include blended finance and technical assistance facilities on green hydrogen and on minerals and metals in the e-batteries value chain; a European Investment Bank (EIB) loan to Transnet to support decarbonisation of the transport sector; and EIB-supported initiatives to boost vaccine manufacturing capacities at Biovac through the Human Development Accelerator.
The leaders acknowledged progress in high-level discussions on environment and water-sector cooperation, and noted ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation on peace, security and defence. Work is underway to establish a dedicated dialogue to advance collaboration on counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and mediation, while focusing on addressing the underlying drivers of conflict.
The leaders said the meeting was held in the same spirit of partnership and cooperation that characterised the SA–EU Summit in Cape Town and reaffirmed their commitment to redoubling efforts to advance shared prosperity based on equality and mutual benefit.
The EU confirmed that it looks forward to hosting the 9th South Africa–EU Summit in Brussels on a date still to be agreed upon. — NNN-SANEWS
