India-South Africa Relations

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On January 20, 2025 the Vivekananda International Foundation organised a talk by High Commissioner of South Africa to India, Dr. Anil Sooklal. During the opening remarks Dr. Arvind Gupta highlighted the well accomplished and extensive career of High Commissioner Dr Anil Sooklal, and underlined the robust bilateral relationship shared between India and South Africa, emphasizing shared historical and cultural ties.

Salient Points of the Discussion:

Deep historical roots of India–South Africa relations were discussed, starting with precolonial trade links and evolving through shared struggles against colonial oppression and apartheid. Gandhi’s transformative journey in South Africa was highlighted as a pivotal influence, both in shaping his philosophy and fostering political organization within the Indian community. South Africa’s Indian diaspora, originating from indentured labourers, traders, and professionals, formed a significant cultural bridge between the two nations.

Diaspora and Cultural Significance The heterogeneity of the Indian diaspora in South Africa was underlined, noting differences in their historical experiences, cultural backgrounds, and economic roles. The need for greater awareness in India about this diaspora's unique history was emphasized.
The struggles and contributions of South Africa’s Girmitiya community was also highlighted.

Additionally, the importance of deeper academic research on the history of the South African diaspora was a key point of discussion.

Important Milestones India’s support for South Africa during its liberation struggle was underscored. The establishment of diplomatic missions in both India and South Africa, in 1994, marked a new phase of vibrant bilateral engagement. President Nelson Mandela’s visits to India and the signing of the Red Fort Declaration in 1997, formalized a strategic partnership between the two nations. Further, the vision of creating Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in 1995 by India and South Africa took the relationship forward.

Key Recommendations:

Economic and Bilateral Relations It was recommended that there is a potential for greater collaboration in critical areas like technology, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and medical for fostering economic ties.

The academia and think tanks should assist in formulating policy that would help in visualising opportunities and help in charting a path forward in India South Africa relations.

It was also recommended that India and South Africa, being strategic partners, should conduct high level, visits at least once in two years. Diplomatic missions were encouraged to engage more dynamically with local communities to foster people-to-people connections.

Multilateral Cooperation India and South Africa’s collaboration in multilateral forums such as BRICS, IBSA, and the G20 was recognized as a cornerstone of their partnership. Both India and South Africa should work in tandem and act as a bridge between Global North and Global South in various multilateral fora.

BRICS was observed to be extremely relevant for raising the voice of Global South. It was stressed that BRICS should maintain its founding principles. It was also recommended that BRICS should be fortified within G20 grouping.

IBSA’s relevance in addressing global governance issues was reaffirmed, with a call for revitalizing trilateral cooperation among India, Brazil, and South Africa. An ‘IBSA plus’ strategy was recommended to proliferate the relevance of the multilateral fora.

Opportunities for Enhanced Engagement India and South Africa should work together towards development of African continent in the fields of; i) Agriculture, ii) Technology and iii) Pharmaceutical architecture.

India-South Africa relations have a potential to be a catalyst for major advancement in Africa's development.

Technology was identified as a key area where India can support Africa’s developmental aspirations, particularly in harnessing digital infrastructure for economic growth.

Collaborative initiatives like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Zanzibar, Tanzania were cited as successful models for educational and technological cooperation.

India’s potential to assist Africa in addressing food security, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, drawing from its own developmental experiences was also emphasized.

It was recommended that India should engage with Africa and propose Indian experiences and success as a model to development for Africa, rather than competing in the continent with other nations.

Leadership in Regional and Continental AffairsSouth Africa’s leadership role within the African continent was discussed, with a focus on strengthening regional organizations like the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The discussion called for collective engagement among African missions in India to maximize their diplomatic influence and leverage India’s growing global stature.

Vision for the Future A forward-looking approach to bilateral relations, was urged upon, proposing concrete goals for 2025 and 2030.

Mutual efforts to address global challenges through shared values and multilateral diplomacy were emphasized as central to the relationship’s future trajectory.

The talk ended on a positive note, urging academics, think tanks, and policymakers to critically assess the India-South Africa relationship and chart a vibrant path forward.