Through Vietnam, South Africa will get opportunities to access the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and seek ties in the mutual interests of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and ASEAN.

Bilateral relations between South Africa and Vietnam were established by the two nations through their past struggles for independence and freedom. During the era of apartheid, Vietnam supported the African National Congress (ANC) with the signing of the "Green Book" in 1978 to show their dedication to the building of a "republic of the black people in South Africa”. In turn, the South African people also supported Vietnam in their struggle for national independence and reconstruction.

Vietnam and Republic of South Africa established diplomatic ties on December 22, 1993. Over the past 15 years, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and South Africa has increased from zero in 1991 to over US$130 million in 2004 and US$250 million in 2005. However, the figure dropped to US$154.7 million in 2006.

2006 was the third year that Vietnam produced a trade surplus to South Africa with export staples like rice, footwear, coal, plastics, garment and textiles, wood works, electrical and electronic appliances, engineering tools, household utensils, fine arts and handicrafts products.

In January 2006, a leading multinational company of South Africa - SAB Miller commenced an investment of US$22.5 million in Vietnam’s giant dairy producer Vinamilk to produce beer in Vietnam. This was the first investment project of South Africa in Vietnam.

During Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s visit to South Africa in November 2004, the two sides issued a joint statement on partnership for cooperation and development and signed agreements on establishing an inter-governmental forum on economic, trade, cultural, scientific and technological partnership, founding a joint trade commission and cooperation between the two chambers of commerce and industry.

At present, consideration and negotiation have been going on for some agreements on avoidance of double taxation, investment protection, and visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders.

The two sides are accelerating exchanges to further boost bilateral cooperation, especially cooperation in economy and trade in order to meet the great cooperative potential of the two countries.