Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto’s three-day State Visit to South Africa has underscored the deepening friendship and strategic alignment between Africa’s two largest economies, with leaders from both nations using the occasion to reaffirm their commitment to stronger economic ties, enhanced regional cooperation, and a unified African voice on pressing global challenges.
President Ruto, who arrived in Tshwane on Monday at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa, was accorded full ceremonial honours, including a 21-gun salute at the Union Buildings. The visit, which concluded on Wednesday evening, saw the two heads of state hold extended bilateral talks covering trade, investment, infrastructure, and continental security. In a joint communique issued after their meeting, both leaders described the relationship as “a strategic partnership rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for Africa’s prosperity.”
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of seven memoranda of understanding spanning sectors such as agriculture, energy, digital transformation, tourism, and defence. Notably, the two countries agreed to remove visa requirements for diplomatic and official passport holders and committed to exploring a broader visa-waiver arrangement for business travellers. President Ramaphosa described the agreements as “practical steps that will translate political goodwill into tangible benefits for our people.”
Beyond bilateral trade, which currently stands at approximately R68 billion annually, the two leaders emphasized their shared role in advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and in pushing for urgent reforms to global financial institutions. President Ruto, speaking at a business forum in Pretoria, called on African nations to “stop begging and start bargaining” from a position of collective strength. “Kenya and South Africa must lead by example,” he said. “We cannot speak of an African century if we do not first fix how we trade, travel, and trust one another.”
The visit also addressed continental peace and security, with both leaders expressing concern over the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. They pledged coordinated diplomatic efforts through the African Union and United Nations. President Ramaphosa confirmed that South Africa would support Kenya’s candidate for a senior AU position later this year. The trip concluded with a state banquet, where both leaders toasted a new chapter in Africa’s most consequential bilateral relationship.
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