State welcome held for South African President in Hanoi
VOV.VN - Vietnamese President Luong Cuong hosted a state welcome ceremony for his South African counterpart Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa on the afternoon of October 23 at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

This marks the South African leader’s first visit to Vietnam in nearly 20 years, representing a historic milestone and contributing to the deepening and substantive development of bilateral relations.
A large number of children from the capital city gathered at the Presidential Palace, waving the flags of both countries to welcome President Ramaphosa and his delegation.
The motorcade escorted President Ramaphosa into the Presidential Palace. To the sound of a welcoming fanfare, President Luong Cuong and President Ramaphosa proceeded along the red carpet to the honor podium. After the national anthems of both countries were played, they saluted the flags and reviewed the Vietnam People’s Army Honor Guard. The two leaders then introduced members of the high-level delegations from both countries.
Vietnam and South Africa established formal diplomatic relations on December 22, 1993, although cooperation and close ties between the two countries date back to the 1960s. The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the African National Congress (ANC) have built a tradition of solidarity and mutual support in the struggle against colonialism and for national independence in each country.
Building on this foundation of strong bilateral ties, driven by mutual interest and effort, relations over the past 30 years have flourished across Party, state, and people-to-people channels. South Africa was Vietnam’s first “Partner for Cooperation and Development” in Africa, equivalent to a comprehensive partnership.
Both sides have maintained political-diplomatic momentum through exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially high-level visits, across Party, state, parliamentary, ministerial, and local channels, while encouraging and facilitating people-to-people exchanges to enhance solidarity and mutual understanding. They have also consistently coordinated and supported each other in international organizations and at multilateral forums.

Economically, South Africa is currently one of Vietnam’s leading trading partners and export markets in Africa. Bilateral trade turnover has grown from US$192 million in 2007 to US$1.72 billion in 2024. There is potential to further develop cooperation in new and green energy, climate finance, e-commerce, banking and finance, science and technology innovation, and tourism.
The two countries are actively exchanging measures to boost bilateral economic cooperation through potential export goods, market access facilitation, and cooperation in sectors of strength such as mineral extraction, supporting industries, oil and gas services, renewable energy, and fisheries.
President Ramaphosa’s current state visit follows his visit nine years ago as Vice President and represents a significant milestone in bilateral relations, showing the special attention and determination of both countries to elevate their ties. The visit not only consolidates traditional friendship but also creates opportunities for the two leaders to assess overall cooperation, guide economic, trade, and investment co-operation, and explore new potential toward a more comprehensive and profound partnership in the future.
Following the state welcome, the two state leaders held a private meeting before leading the high-level delegations into official talks to review past cooperation and discuss future directions. The two leaders also met with the press.