India’s Modi to meet with Zuma in Pretoria

Presidency spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said the two will hold official talks at the Union Buildings and will later in the day address a South Africa-India Business Forum meeting.

The meetings form part of Modi’s official visit to the country. He is also expected to undertake engagements elsewhere in Gauteng and in KwaZulu-Natal.

India and South Africa have enjoyed, according to Ngqulunga, "a deep and shared history of friendship and solidarity". India was an ally of the liberation struggle and had been at the forefront of helping to isolate the apartheid government.

With the transition underway, South Africa and India established full diplomatic relations in 1993

On this visit, South Africa and India – who are both members of the BRICS bloc alongside Brazil, Russia, and China – will look to strengthen economic, political, and social ties with a focus on trade between the two nations.

"On international cooperation, South Africa wants to see a meaningful reform of the global governance system to make the system more responsive to the needs of the developing world especially Africa and this matter will feature in the discussions," said Ngqulunga.

During the bilateral, Zuma and Modi, along with their delegations, will conclude some of the work around bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding currently under consideration.

"The visit will also serve to further strengthen the excellent people-to-people contact that exists between the two countries," said Ngqulunga.

Modi’s visit will follow his Thursday trip around Maputo, Mozambique, which is a first for any Indian prime minister. Modi will also visit Tanzania and Kenya during his continental tour and is expected to return home on Monday. - ANA