The visit signals Pretoria\u2019s intention to diversify its trade partners and deepen bilateral cooperation at a time of heightened global geopolitical tension.<\/p>\n
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Thembisa Fakude, Senior Researcher and Director at Afrasid, told Channel Africa that Ramaphosa\u2019s delegation is heavily weighted toward economic portfolios, indicating that trade, investment and tourism will dominate the agenda. \u201cThe concentration is certainly economic,\u201d Fakude said, noting that most ministers accompanying the president hold economic cluster portfolios, with the exception of Defence Minister Angie Motshekga.<\/p>\n
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Fakude said the bilateral focus reflects a broader trend within the Brazil, Russia, India, China, SA, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia (BRICS) group. \u201cWe are seeing members negotiating alone rather than as a bloc,\u201d he explained. \u201cChina negotiates alone, SA negotiates alone, and now Brazil and SA are reinforcing bilateral economic cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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According to Fakude, SA is seeking to expand exports beyond traditional partners and sees Brazil as a natural counterpart. He said direct maritime routes, cultural similarities and strong tourism potential make Brazil an attractive destination for economic diversification. \u201cIf you go to Brazil, you might think you are in SA. There is huge potential to grow tourism,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
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Beyond trade, Fakude believes defence cooperation will be discussed, particularly given global tensions linked to the Iran conflict. Brazil maintains a strong naval presence in the South Atlantic, and Fakude said SA may be seeking knowledge\u2011sharing and strategic dialogue rather than military guarantees.<\/p>\n
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He suggested that Motshekga\u2019s presence signals Pretoria\u2019s concerns about potential external threats. \u201cSA is clandestinely beginning to negotiate with its partners in preparation for whatever may come,\u201d he said, referencing growing anti\u2011SA rhetoric from figures such as Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
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As SA seeks new markets, Fakude noted that stronger bilateral trade with Brazil could reshape regional dynamics. \u201cSA is on a charm offensive,\u201d he said. \u201cBrazil offers alternative products previously sourced from the United States. With Brazil, China and Russia, our prospects for diversifying exports and imports look better than before.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ramaphosa\u2019s visit is expected to lay the groundwork for deeper trade, tourism and security collaboration as both countries navigate an increasingly fractured global landscape.<\/p>\n
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–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28180,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[78,44,26],"class_list":["post-28179","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-finance","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South African (SA) President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Brazil for a state visit focused on strengthening political and economic relations with Latin America\u2019s largest economy. ","published_date":"","news_description":"South African (SA) President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Brazil for a state visit focused on strengthening political and economic relations with Latin America\u2019s largest economy. ","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/28179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/28179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28181,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/28179\/revisions\/28181"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=28179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}