India's view of the world · A factual referenceLast updated 12 May 2026 · Edition 04
COUNTRY RELATIONSHIP · SOUTH AFRICA
India & South Africa
FIRST STRATEGIC PARTNER (1997)BRICS & IBSAANTI-APARTHEID LEGACYGANDHI-MANDELA LINK
India's ties with South Africa trace back to Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha movement over a century ago; India was the first country to sever trade relations with the apartheid government (1946) and championed the anti-apartheid cause at the UN and NAM. Diplomatic relations were restored in 1993, and the 1997 'Red Fort Declaration' - signed during Nelson Mandela's India visit - made South Africa India's first-ever Strategic Partner. Ties are reinforced through BRICS, IBSA and the G20, with 2023 marking 30 years since the re-establishment of relations.
COOPERATION AREAS
Where India and South Africa actually work together
7 active areas of cooperation, as of April 2026. Click any card for the full brief.
TRADE & INVESTMENT
By the numbers
FY 2024-25 figures (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) as cited in MEA bilateral brief (April 2026). FY25-26 (Apr-Jan) trade already at $13.02bn.
$18.01bn
Total bilateral trade in goods
$7.46bn
India exports to country
$10.55bn
India imports from country
Trade trajectory · USD bn
$18.01bnin FY25 · click a bar to compare years
TOP TRADED ITEMS
AGREEMENTS & MILESTONES
The relationship since 1946, in 11 dates
CURRENT STATE
Where things stand, 2026
The relationship remains anchored in shared multilateral platforms - BRICS, IBSA and, in 2025, South Africa's G20 Presidency, which saw over a dozen Indian ministers attend sectoral meetings across the country. Trade has plateaued just below $20bn with a structural deficit favouring South Africa (gold, coal, minerals), and a SACU-India Preferential Trade Agreement remains under discussion. Defence cooperation has deepened meaningfully with the submarine rescue partnership, while Project Cheetah and the Gandhi-Mandela skills centre exemplify the relationship's distinctive people-and-heritage dimension rooted in the shared Gandhi legacy.
SIGNALS TO WATCH
On track / positive momentum
In progress / worth watching
Stalled or facing headwinds
Not yet started / unclear
IN CONTEXT
How India and South Africa cross paths multilaterally
