President Cyril Ramaphosa has today, 08 March 2026, arrived in Brasilia, the capital city of the Federative Republic of Brazil on a state visit at the invitation of His Excellency President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The state visit  take places from 09 - 10 March 2026. 

The visit will provide an opportunity for the two Heads of State to engage on a broad range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

South Africa and Brazil share historic and fraternal ties, built on friendship, shared Africa heritage, solidarity, South Cooperation and multilateralism. 

The relationship is anchored in the Declaration of Strategic Partnership that was signed in 2010 and implemented through the South Africa–Brazil Joint Commission. 

The state visit will focus on the following priorities: 
* Enhancing diplomatic and political relations
* Enhancing economic and commercial relations between the two countries.
* Strengthening cooperation in agribusiness, aerospace, creative industries, defence, energy, mining, science and technology, sport and tourism.    
* Engaging on shared geopolitical priorities as members of the Global South, including cooperation in BRICS, IBSA, the G77+China, the G20, and the United Nations.

Brazil, as the largest economy in Latin America, remains a key partner for South Africa’s engagement with the Latin America and Caribbean region. 

During the visit, both sides will explore additional avenues to broaden economic ties and unlock new opportunities for mutually beneficial trade and economic relations.

President Ramaphosa will also address a South Africa–Brazil Business Forum, aimed at promoting increased commercial collaboration. He will be accompanied by a business delegation representing the agribusiness, aerospace, chemicals, defence, energy, engineering, mining, maritime and pharmaceuticals sectors.

The President will on the margins of the state visit engage with pioneering  Brazilian business leaders to accelerate investments and opportunities South Africa offers. 

Bilateral trade between South Africa and Brazil reached R32.5 billion in 2025, with South African exports amounting to R5.2 billion and imports from Brazil totalling approximately R27.3 billion.
South Africa’s top exports to Brazil are chemicals, mineral products, machinery, iron and steel, and vehicles. Brazilian exports to South Africa include mineral products, live animals, machinery, vegetables, and iron and steel products. 

The SACU–MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) has supported a steady growth of South African exports to Brazil and has opened opportunities for preferential market access for 1,500 product lines. 

The visit will provide a platform to exchange notes on how best to maximize the opportunities presented by the PTA and explore mechanisms to enhance and diversify trade between the two countries. 

Brazilian investment in South Africa spans manufacturing, services, engineering, agriculture, and aviation, while major South African companies are active in the Brazilian market in retail, pharmaceutical, extractive industry, paper, financial services and technology, and chemicals.
 
Tourism is an expanding area of cooperation. Brazil ranked as South Africa’s ninth-largest source of international arrivals in 2025, supported by the resumption and expansion of direct flights between São Paulo and South Africa since 2023.

President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr. Ronald Lamola; Minister of Defence and Military Veterans,  Ms. Angie Motshekga; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Bonginkosi Nzimande; Minister of Tourism, Ms. Patricia De Lille; Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr. Parks Tau; Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie; and senior government officials. 

BRAZIL STATE VISIT MEDIA PROGRAMME
Date: Monday,09 March 2026

WELCOME CEREMONY  IN HONOUR OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
Time: 15h00 SAST 
Venue: Palácio do Planalto, Brasilia

JOINT MEDIA BRIEFING BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA AND PRESIDENT LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA  
Time: 17h00 SAST 
Venue: Palácio do Planalto, Brasilia 

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA TO ADDRESS SOUTH AFRICA - BRAZIL BUSINESS FORUM
Time: 19:00
Venue : Palácio Itamaraty, Brasilia 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa will undertake a state visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil from 9–10 March 2026 at the invitation of His Excellency President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 

The visit will provide an opportunity for the two Heads of State to engage on a broad range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

South Africa and Brazil share historic and fraternal ties, built on friendship, shared Africa heritage, solidarity, South Cooperation and multilateralism. 

The relationship is anchored in the Declaration of Strategic Partnership that was signed in 2010 and implemented through the South Africa–Brazil Joint Commission. 

The state visit will focus on the following priorities: 
* Enhancing diplomatic and political relations
* Enhancing economic and commercial relations between the two countries.
* Strengthening cooperation in agribusiness, aerospace, creative industries, defence, energy, mining, science and technology, sport and tourism.    
* Engaging on shared geopolitical priorities as members of the Global South, including cooperation in BRICS, IBSA, the G77+China, the G20, and the United Nations.

Brazil, as the largest economy in Latin America, remains a key partner for South Africa’s engagement with the Latin America and Caribbean region. 

During the visit, both sides will explore additional avenues to broaden economic ties and unlock new opportunities for mutually beneficial trade and economic relations.

President Ramaphosa will also address a South Africa–Brazil Business Forum, aimed at promoting increased commercial collaboration. He will be accompanied by a business delegation representing the agribusiness, aerospace, chemicals, defence, energy, engineering, mining, maritime and pharmaceuticals sectors.

The President will on the margins of the state visit engage with pioneering  Brazilian business leaders to accelerate investments and opportunities South Africa offers. 

Bilateral trade between South Africa and Brazil reached R32.5 billion in 2025, with South African exports amounting to R5.2 billion and imports from Brazil totalling approximately R27.3 billion.
South Africa’s top exports to Brazil are chemicals, mineral products, machinery, iron and steel, and vehicles. Brazilian exports to South Africa include mineral products, live animals, machinery, vegetables, and iron and steel products. 

The SACU–MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) has supported a steady growth of South African exports to Brazil and has opened opportunities for preferential market access for 1,500 product lines. 

The visit will provide a platform to exchange notes on how best to maximize the opportunities presented by the PTA and explore mechanisms to enhance and diversify trade between the two countries. 

Brazilian investment in South Africa spans manufacturing, services, engineering, agriculture, and aviation, while major South African companies are active in the Brazilian market in retail, pharmaceutical, extractive industry, paper, financial services and technology, and chemicals.
 
Tourism is an expanding area of cooperation. Brazil ranked as South Africa’s ninth-largest source of international arrivals in 2025, supported by the resumption and expansion of direct flights between São Paulo and South Africa since 2023.

President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr. Ronald Lamola; Minister of Defence and Military Veterans,  Ms. Angie Motshekga; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Bonginkosi Nzimande; Minister of Tourism, Ms. Patricia De Lille; Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr. Parks Tau; Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie; and senior government officials. 

BRAZIL STATE VISIT MEDIA PROGRAMME
Date: Monday,09 March 2026

WELCOME CEREMONY  IN HONOUR OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
Time: 15h00 SAST 
Venue: Palácio do Planalto, Brasilia

JOINT MEDIA BRIEFING BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA AND PRESIDENT LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA 
Time: 17h00 SAST 
Venue: Palácio do Planalto, Brasilia 

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA TO ADDRESS SOUTH AFRICA - BRAZIL BUSINESS FORUM
Time: 19:00
Venue: Palácio Itamaraty, Brasilia 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

The Family of the late Rev Jesse Jackson,
Your Excellencies,
Friends,
 
The people of South Africa are with you today as you lay to rest a great man and celebrate a remarkable life that altered the moral direction of a nation and inspired the conscience of the world. 
 
We are here to join you as you say farewell to a man who carried the message of hope from the streets of Chicago to the streets of Johannesburg. 
 
Today we are also here, as South Africans, to claim Reverend Jesse Jackson as one of our own. We lay claim on him today because he laid claim on us first. 
 
You may ask: how can a son of South Carolina belong to the people of Soweto?
 
How can a man born into the segregated American South be claimed by the people of a faraway land that was bedevilled by a racist system of apartheid?
 
We will tell you how. We will tell you why.
 
Belonging is not determined by the soil on which you were born.
 
Belonging is determined by the soil on which you choose to join the fight against an evil racist and oppressive system.
 
In the long and painful years of our struggle, when the voices of our people were often silenced, Jesse Jackson chose to belong to us by raising his voice against apartheid on our behalf. 
 
When our cause was ignored, and many would look away he stood firm in solidarity with us. 
 
He looked at a people he had never met and said: their pain is my pain. Their chains are my chains. Their struggle for freedom is my struggle.
 
And for this, the people of South Africa remember him not as a distant friend, but as a brother in the struggle for justice and freedom. 
 
That is why we proclaim that he is ours too. 
 
Jesse Jackson was an African. We lay claim to him because he was an African. Pledging his solidarity with our struggle made him one of us. 
 
An African. An African American. 
 
He epitomised the image that was depicted by one of the key founders of the African National Congress, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, who delivered a most famous speech in 1906 when he was a student at Columbia University. 
 
He said: “I am an African, and I set my pride in my race over against a hostile public opinion… The brighter day is rising upon Africa. Already I seem to see her chains dissolved.” 
 
That speech captured the spirit of African pride and hope. This is what Jesse Jackson meant to South Africa and Africa. Hence we stand here today and say he also belongs to us.
 
Jesse Jackson stood with the people of South Africa during our darkest hour. He told the world that the struggle for dignity in the United States of America was inseparable from the fight against apartheid and injustice in South Africa.
 
When Jesse Jackson reminded the United States that its strength lies not in exclusion, but in the beautiful diversity of its people – black and white, rich and poor, urban and rural, workers and farmers, immigrants and the forgotten – we were inspired by his message and embraced the universal values of diversity, inclusion and equity that he preached. 
 
Nelson Mandela and his comrades were hugely inspired by Jesse Jackson whilst they were serving life sentences on Robben Island as they observed how he carried our struggle for justice beyond the borders of the United States. 
 
He was a voice — a voice that refused to be silenced when silence would have been easier. A voice that preached a message of hope from the streets of Chicago to the dusty streets of Soweto, that justice was not a privilege for the few, but a birthright for all.
 
His rallying call “Keep hope alive” became a compass for our struggle and gave us hope for victory over the evil of system of apartheid exclusion, division and oppression.
 
Jesse Jackson expressed his solidarity with the people of South Africa when he first visited South Africa in 1979, two years after the callous killing of Steve Biko in apartheid police cells. He drew massive crowds at rallies in Soweto, where he famously declared that: "This land is changing hands." 
 
When the Reagan administration chose "constructive engagement" – diplomatic language for doing nothing – Jesse Jackson chose unconditional solidarity with the oppressed majority in South Africa. 
 
He became the most visible American political figure advocating for comprehensive pressure and economic sanctions against South Africa. 
 
By placing South Africa at the centre of American electoral politics during his presidential election campaign, Jesse Jackson influenced millions of voters to confront apartheid as their moral responsibility too.
 
He led many marches here in the United States and in 1985 was arrested with his two sons, Jesse Jr. and Jonathan, outside the South African Embassy. As they were arrested, they sang “We shall Overcome”. It was a song that became part of our struggle and from which we drew inspiration. 
 
He took the fight against apartheid global.
 
On the 2nd of November 1985, he marched with then ANC President Oliver Tambo, Anti-Apartheid Movement President Trevor Huddleston and more than 150,000 people – in what was one of the largest anti-apartheid demonstrations ever held in Britain – to demand sanctions against South Africa and the release of Nelson Mandela. 
 
Not only did he march in the streets; he walked into the corridors of power. 
 
He personally lobbied Pope John Paul II to visit South Africa and hasten change. He pressed Mikhail Gorbachev to cut all Soviet diplomatic ties with Pretoria. He challenged Margaret Thatcher to her face. She refused to budge, but he did not stop.
 
When Nelson Mandela finally walked free in 1990 after 27 long years of imprisonment, Jesse Jackson was there in Cape Town, witnessing a moment the world would never forget. He described the atmosphere as a “release of glee and joy,” as millions celebrated not only the freedom of a man, but the rising hope of a nation.
 
In 1994, he was present when Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first democratically elected President of South Africa. Jackson kept returning after 1994, when many of his contemporaries moved on. 
 
We claim Jesse Jackson as one of our own because he never saw the struggle in South Africa as a distant or foreign cause, but as a struggle that belonged to him as well. 
 
His greatest gift to the oppressed people of South Africa was the courage he gave us to believe that we must never surrender hope, that justice would prevail, and freedom would come.
 
He encouraged us not to lose hope in the face of oppression. 
 
Not to lose hope in the face of injustice.
 
To have hope that ordinary people, standing together, would write their own history of triumph against apartheid.
 
The life of Reverend Jesse Jackson reminds us that the struggle for justice is never the work of a single lifetime. It is a long and noble journey carried forward across generations. It is a relay in which the torch of freedom is passed from one courageous hand to another.
 
Martin Luther King Jr. lifted that torch and gave the world a dream of justice and equality.

Jesse Jackson carried that dream forward with hope, keeping its flame alive in the hearts of those who refused to surrender to injustice.

And Nelson Mandela carried that dream into freedom, helping to build a rainbow nation where dignity and liberty could belong to all. 
 
And so today that torch still burns. It is now in our hands – to guard it, to carry it forward, and to ensure that the dream of justice continues to light the path for generations yet to come. 
 
Now we must ask ourselves how we can honour the life and memory of Jesse Jackson.
 
We honour him by carrying forward the values he lived for: justice, dignity, equality, 
 
By committing to a lifetime of service to others. 
 
By showing up when others look away from injustice, when they fear to stand up to power and when they walk away from suffering.
 
By pledging solidarity and using every opportunity to support the just struggle of others.
 
By ensuring that there is justice for all. 
 
By keeping hope alive, as Jesse Jackson taught us. 
 
Today we honour a man whose voice stirred the conscience of leaders and ordinary people, whose courage strengthened movements across the world, and whose faith never wavered even when the road was long. 
 
To our mother, Mrs Jacqueline Jackson, to Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline, Ashley and the entire Jackson family:
 
We, the people of South Africa, are here to say thank you. 
 
The African National Congress, with which Jesse Jackson worked closely, thanks you. 
 
We are here not only in mourning, but in gratitude.
 
Deep, abiding, unrepayable gratitude. 
 
You gave us your husband. Your father. Your patriarch.
 
You shared him across an ocean, across continents.
 
Across marches and prison gates and inauguration days.
 
When South Africa needed a friend in the corridors of power you allowed Jesse Jackson to be that friend.
 
His support meant that when our people were tear-gassed in Soweto someone in America was weeping with us. 
 
It meant that when our leaders sat in prison cells on Robben Island, someone was standing in the capitals of the world, in Washington and in London, saying: Nelson Mandela and his comrades are not terrorists or criminals. They are freedom fighters. The world must listen and act. 
 
We are grateful that on the day Nelson Mandela walked free – on that historic and miraculous day – Jesse Jackson was standing in the sunlight with us. 
 
Not because it was required of him. But because it was in him to witness the emergence of the South Africa he had campaigned for, been arrested for, struggled for and prophesied about in Soweto in 1979. 
 
We honour him for his enduring commitment, his expression of real love, sacrificial love. 
 
The commitment he displayed did not wait to be invited. It made him simply show up. 
 
Jesse Jackson showed up for South Africa.
 
Again. And again. And again. 
 
Long after the cameras moved on.
 
Long after the sanctions were won.
 
Long after apartheid had been defeated and relegated to the ash heap of history he kept coming back. 
 
To express its gratitude as a free nation, South Africa awarded him the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo. 
 
But no medal, no honour, no citation is wide enough to express what Jesse Jackson gave and meant to us. 
 
What he gave to us cannot be framed and hung on a wall.
 
It lives in our Constitution. 
 
It lives in our freedom. It lives in the hearts of our people. 
 
That is why we are here today: to carry of Jesse Jackson’s spirit home with us. 
 
For the hope he nurtured, the courage he inspired and the solidarity he showed to our people must not end with this moment. 
 
It must continue to inspire us in our shared journey to build a better life for all our people. 
 
So, on behalf of sixty-two million freedom loving South Africans, we say thank you. 
 
Go well, Reverend. Go well, Mkhulu.
 
The ancestors – Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Winnie Mandela and many others both here and in South Africa – have been waiting to embrace you.
 
And we, the people of the rainbow nation that you helped to build, salute you and we say: Amandla. Power to the People. 
 
Rest in eternal peace.
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived at Chicago O' Hare International Airport in the state of Illinois in the United States of America.

President Ramaphosa will join members of the Jackson family, the PUSH Rainbow Coalition, the broader US Civil rights movement and other American and international dignitaries in paying tribute to the late Rev. Dr Jesse Louis Jackson. 

The President will deliver his tribute during the Private Homegoing Celebration (Funeral).

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of Rev. Jackson at the age of 84.

Rev. Jesse Jackson’s irrepressible campaigns against apartheid and his support for the liberation struggle was a towering contribution to the global anti-apartheid cause.

In 2013, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was awarded South Africa’s National Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in Silver for dedicating his life to challenge societies and governments to recognise that all people are born equal, and that everyone is in equal measure entitled to life, liberty, prosperity and human rights. 

The award honoured his excellent contribution to the fight against apartheid.

His campaigns for an end to apartheid included disinvestment from the apartheid economy and challenging the support the regime enjoyed in certain circles and institutions internationally.

NOTE TO EDITORS 
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Private Homegoing Celebration - Rainbow PUSH Coalition
930 E. 50th Street, Chicago, IL 60615
Doors Open: 8:00 AM
Service: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM US CST

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that the late former Minister of Defence and leader of the Congress of the People (COPE) Mr Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota will be honoured with a Special Official Funeral Category 2 on Saturday, 14 March 2026.

Mr Lekota, who served the nation as a struggle activist, inaugural Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Premier of the Free State, Minister of Defence, and co-founder of the Congress of the People, passed away on Wednesday, 4 March 2026, at the age of 77.

President Ramaphosa reiterates his deep condolences to the Lekota family, the Congress of the People and Mr Lekota’s comrades and associates across the political spectrum.

President Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Mr Lekota as “a patriot, freedom fighter, and servant of the people whose life story is closely intertwined with our journey of struggle and the realisation of democracy.”

The President said: “We honour him especially for his principled dedication to non-racialism during our struggle and in a liberated South Africa.

“We deeply value his service to his home province where he served as Premier and to our Armed Forces and our national security, in his role as Minister of Defence.”

Reflecting the nation’s appreciation, President Ramaphosa has declared that Mr Lekota will be accorded a Special Official Funeral Category 2 which will take place in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 14 March 2026.

The funeral will feature ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service.

President Ramaphosa has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations from tomorrow morning, Saturday, 7 March 2026, until the evening of the funeral on 14 March 2026.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

SARU President, Mr Mark Alexander and SARU Executive Committee Members present; CEO of SA Rugby, Mr Rian Oberholzer; Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Hon. McKenzy and Deputy Minister Mabe; Union Presidents and Associate Members of SARU; All SARU National Teams, the Coaching Staff and Management;
SARU Sponsors and Donors; 
All the Awards Nominees;

Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening!

On behalf of myself and my wife Humile, I would like to thank you for the invitation to this South African Rugby Player of the Year Awards. Tonight, we honour a legacy deeply ingrained in our country’s culture and unity, while celebrating extraordinary excellence in rugby.

Looking back, rugby in South Africa was historically intertwined with the power structures of the apartheid era. It stood as a symbol of exclusion and a reminder of the inequalities that shaped that time. 

Yet, in 1995, something extraordinary happened. I remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday. When the late President Nelson Mandela walked onto the field wearing the green Springbok jersey. A symbol that once divided us, instantly became a symbol of unityand national pride, Amabokoboko!

The victory that followed reflected South Africa’s broader journey of resilience and reconciliation. It demonstrated how shared purpose can inspire national cohesion and pride.

The 1995 Springbok triumph marked the beginning of a new era for South African rugby. Subsequently, Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2007, 2019, and 2023 reaffirmed South Africa’s excellence and strengthened our global standing. The 2023 triumph in particular, which secured a historic fourth title, cemented the Springboks as the most successful team in rugby history.

I am reciting these achievements because I believe they were made possible through discipline, commitment, and sacrifice. The same values embodied by the new generation of rugby players we honour tonight.

These sportsmen teach us that through shared purpose and collective sacrifice, South Africans can overcome challenges and achieve greatness together. Their example underscores the importance of unity in nation-building.

We must remember that nation-building is an ongoing process, one aimed at uniting a once deeply divided society into an equitable and cohesive nation. Even today, sport continues to play a vital role in the transformation of our society by promoting inclusivity and expanding opportunities. 

It is for these reasons that we continue to pay tribute to our players and to those who support them. They stand as symbols of what is possible when we unite. We urge you, as enduring bearers of hope, to continue advancing the noble work that was begun in 1995. The work of fostering a truly united and inclusive rainbow nation.

Together, we can carry this hope forward by empowering young people in our communities. Effective investment should focus on building, maintaining, and providing access to quality facilities, training coaches, and expanding participation in underserved communities. Investment in grassroots sport remains one of the most powerful catalysts for social cohesion, youth development, and economic transformation in our country.

We must therefore deliberately continue to invest in rural areas to bridge the gaps that exist in our sporting codes. 

In conclusion, allow me to extend congratulations to all award recipients. Your achievements bring pride to our nation and reaffirm rugby’s enduring place in South Africa’s story.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has in terms of section 13(1)9c) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act and after consultation set out in the legislation, appointed Mr Sonja Josiah Ntuli as Director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga.
 
Mr Sonja is a lawyer with 29 years’ experience in the legal field as an attorney, and prosecutor.
 
Core to this experience is Mr Sonja’s 21 years of service in various capacities within the National Prosecuting Authority, from district court prosecutor to Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
 
Most recently, Mr Sonja was Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga for close on three years.
 
President Ramaphosa wishes Mr Ntuli well in his role of entrenching the rule of law in the province and bringing to book persons or entities that violate the law.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria