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President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Dr Ursula von der Leyen, have emphasized strengthening the South Africa-EU partnership during a trilateral meeting held before the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The meeting held on Thursday in Sandton came after a series of earlier discussions between the leaders, such as those 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 officials examined advancements regarding the major political and economic results established during the 8th South Africa-EU Summit, which took place in March 2025 in Cape Town.

The gathering occurred prior to the 7th African Union (AU)-EU Summit, which is set to take place on 24-25 November in Luanda, Angola.

Amid South Africa’s G20 leadership and increasing threats to global cooperation, the leaders reaffirmed their dedication to achieving a fair, broad, and enduring peace in Ukraine, Sudan, and the occupied Palestinian territories.

WATCH | Trilateral meeting between South Africa and the EU

They also emphasized the significance of multilateral cooperation, the core principles outlined in the United Nations Charter, and the necessity of a revitalized global financial system to support sustainable development.

The leaders expressed approval of the EU-South Africa Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP) signing, highlighting that it will open up new trade and investment prospects while advancing decarbonization goals through a customized, adaptable, and focused strategy that aligns with common interests.

“Beyond promoting trade and investment in clean supply chains, this collaboration will also act as a platform for regulatory coordination between the EU and South Africa in areas of shared concern,” stated the joint communique from the leaders’ meeting.

The group also expressed approval for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding outlining a Strategic Partnership focused on Sustainable Minerals and Metals Value Chains, aimed at increasing value addition and processing of essential minerals near their extraction sites, while boosting economic and industrial integration between South Africa and the EU.

Meeting previous commitments, South Africa and the EU initiated the South Africa-EU Energy Dialogue in September 2025, with an agreement to raise its status to a Ministerial level in 2026.

The conversation will enhance cooperation regarding transmission infrastructure, clean energy technologies, and further just transition efforts, with both parties reiterating their dedication to collaborating on the future export of Sustainable Aviation Fuel to the EU.

Market access

Regarding agriculture and access to markets, the leaders reconfirmed their dedication to promote trade between countries involving animals, plants, and related products.

“South Africa reconfirmed its dedication to facilitate the trade of poultry, including through a final discussion on regionalization, and to continue evaluating and processing EU market access applications using the information to be provided by exporting countries as a top priority,” the statement said.

The EU expressed its willingness to proceed with listing South Africa as authorized to export shelf-stable composite goods, and both parties agreed to establish concrete outcomes for the upcoming Trade and Investment Dialogue.

They praised the agreement that allows for the temporary exemption from the Rules of Origin under the EU-Southern African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement, enabling the bilateral sharing of batteries. This exception is intended to boost battery production in both regions and will allow South Africa to utilize batteries produced in the EU and South Africa when exporting electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to the European Union.

The European Union revealed five projects as part of its approximately €12-billion Team Europe Global Gateway Investment Package aimed at South Africa. These consist of combined financial and technical support mechanisms focused on green hydrogen and minerals and metals within the e-battery supply chain; a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to Transnet to aid in reducing emissions in the transportation sector; and EIB-backed efforts to enhance vaccine production capabilities at Biovac via the Human Development Accelerator.

The leaders recognized advancements in high-level talks regarding the environment and cooperation within the water sector, and highlighted continued initiatives to enhance collaboration in peace, security, and defense. Efforts are being made to create a specific dialogue aimed at promoting cooperation on counter-terrorism, cyber security, maritime security, and mediation, with an emphasis on tackling the root causes of conflict.

The leaders stated that the meeting took place with the same sense of partnership and collaboration that defined the SA-EU Summit in Cape Town, and they reconfirmed their dedication to increasing efforts to promote common prosperity rooted in equality and mutual advantage.

The European Union stated its anticipation for hosting the 9th South Africa-EU Summit in Brussels, with the specific date yet to be determined.

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