• Deals cover  mediation, trade, education, and culture
• Agreements include plans to modernize EFTA-SACU free trade agreement
• Bilateral trade reached $1B in 2024; Ramaphosa met Swiss President in Bern
  

South Africa and Switzerland signed five bilateral cooperation agreements on Wednesday covering mediation, education, trade, culture and sustainable development, the Swiss and South African governments said.

The first agreement, a letter of intent between Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, focuses on collaboration in international peace mediation and efforts to strengthen democratic resilience.

The second, a joint declaration of cooperation between Switzerland’s Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training, establishes a framework for partnership in technical and vocational education and training.

A third joint declaration on economic cooperation reaffirms both sides’ commitment to resume and advance negotiations on modernizing the free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

The remaining two are memorandums of understanding. One supports an urban development program in South Africa, while the other promotes cooperation in the arts, culture and heritage sectors.

Relations between Switzerland and South Africa are long-standing and wide-ranging, spanning education, research and innovation. Pretoria remains one of Bern’s key economic partners, with bilateral trade totaling $1 billion in 2024, according to the International Trade Centre.

The agreements were signed during an official visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the invitation of Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter.

Lydie Mobio