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President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Brasilia ahead of a state visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between South Africa and Brazil.
The President arrived in the Brazilian capital on Sunday at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a two-day visit scheduled from March 9 to 10, 2026.
uma grande honora receiver o president @CyrilRamaphosa To visit the Estado. Ceja Bem-Windo ao Brazil, Companheiro 🇧🇷🤝🇿🇦
📸 @ricardostkurt pic.twitter.com/mK0tQCYnO6
– Lula (@LulaOfficial) 9 March 2026
📰🗞️ | President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Brasilia ahead of a state visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between South Africa and Brazil.
The President reached the Brazilian capital on Sunday at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio… pic.twitter.com/cT7kCWhORR
– Government of South Africa (@GovernmentZA) 9 March 2026
According to the Presidency, the visit provides an opportunity for the two leaders to interact on a range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest, including trade, investment and cooperation in key economic sectors.
South Africa and Brazil have long-standing diplomatic relations, rooted in the Declaration of Strategic Partnership signed in 2010, which is implemented through the South Africa–Brazil Joint Commission.
The state visit will begin at 3pm (SAST) on Monday with an official reception in honor of President Ramaphosa at the Palacio do Planalto.
This will be followed by a joint media briefing by Ramaphosa and Lula at 5pm (SAST) at the same venue, where the two leaders are expected to outline areas of cooperation and the outcomes of their engagement.
Later in the evening, President Ramaphosa will address the South Africa-Brazil Business Forum at Itamaraty Palace at 7pm (SAST).
The forum will bring together business leaders from both countries and aims to promote greater commercial cooperation and investment opportunities.
nice to see my brother president @LulaOfficial Again, this time for a state visit to the Palacio do Planalto in Brasília.
I look forward to engaging with Your Excellency on regional and global developments and benefiting from your perspective on strategic priorities… pic.twitter.com/xpgMGzMG7g
– Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) 9 March 2026
The state visit will focus on strengthening cooperation in sectors such as agribusiness, aerospace, creative industries, defence, energy, mining, science and technology, sports and tourism.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss shared geopolitical priorities as members of the Global South and cooperation in multilateral platforms including BRICS, India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum, Group of 77, Group of Twenty and the United Nations.
Brazil remains a key partner for South Africa's engagement with the Latin American and Caribbean region and both countries are expected to explore ways to expand trade and investment.
Bilateral trade between South Africa and Brazil is expected to reach R32.5 billion in 2025, with South African exports accounting for R5.2 billion and imports from Brazil accounting for approximately R27.3 billion.
President Ramaphosa is also accompanied by a number of cabinet ministers on the state visit, including Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, Minister of Defense and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Bonginkosi Nzimande, Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille, Minister of Power and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competitiveness Park Tau and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Guyton McKenzie.