Deputy President Mashatile pays a courtesy call on President Shanmugaratnam of Singapore

The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency, Mr Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile has this today, Monday 08 June 2026, paid a courtesy call on His Excellency, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore at the Melrose Arch in Sandton, Johannesburg.

President Shanmugaratnam is on a Working Visit to South Africa where he is, among other things, attending the World Bank High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs and the Group of Thirty Spring Plenary Meeting taking place in Cape Town.

South Africa and Singapore maintain strong and growing bilateral relations, supported by regular high-level engagements and shared priorities in economic development, governance, and innovation. In May 2023, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid an Official Visit to South Africa, with Deputy President Mashatile paying a reciprocal Official Visit to Singapore in December 2023, leading to further Bilateral interactions between the two countries on the margins of G20 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related engagements in 2024 to 2025.

"For us in South Africa," said the Deputy President," Singapore remains our key economic partner and an important gateway to Southeast Asia, providing significant potential to expand cooperation in trade, investment, logistics, and financial services, as well as to enhance air and trade connectivity."

The meeting between Deputy President Mashatile and President Shanmugaratnam provided an opportunity to reinforce strong bilateral political and economic relations; consolidate cooperation in priority areas such as trade, investment, skills development, and governance; exchange views on economic transformation, job creation, and inclusive growth, as well as maintain momentum in high-level engagements and strengthen South-South cooperation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Shanmugaratnam made an undertaking to facilitate engagement by South Africa with the ASEAN economic block for further trade and investment that would benefit both South Africa and Singapore.

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria