President Cyril Ramaphosa says his visit to Japan has been impactful as South Africa seeks to deepen trade with a number of countries.

Ramaphosa took part in the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit.

This year’s gathering took place at a time of unprecedented threats to global peace and disruption to global trade.

A number of African leaders also attended the summit.

As the world is grappling with pressing challenges, Africa and Japan strengthened their bilateral ties, especially after the US imposed sweeping tariffs on a number of countries.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says that despite the obstacles, this is an opportune moment to create new opportunities.

[WATCH]
At the Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit in Japan, President Ramaphosa outlined South Africa’s economic strategy, linking it to the African Continental Free Trade Area to boost intra-African trade and attract global investment. pic.twitter.com/CFE1biqOFU

— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 21, 2025

Some experts say that China has made inroads in Africa and that Japan is trying to catch up. Despite this, President Ramaphosa says Pretoria cherishes its bilateral ties with Japan, which remains an influential economy in the world.

The president further welcomed the efforts to try and end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Bilateral trade between South Africa and Japan has been expanding since the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1992.

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