South Africa and Namibia Sign Seven Bilateral Cooperation Agreements

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah co-chaired the Fourth Session of the South Africa-Namibia Bi-National Commission in Pretoria on July 17, 2026. The leaders signed seven bilateral agreements covering employment, legal cooperation, correctional services, air services, public administration, and gender equality.

To strengthen women's empowerment, Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and Namibian Minister Emma Kantema-Gaomas established a framework focusing on six priority areas, including combating femicide and increasing women's representation in decision-making roles. Parallel to these government efforts, the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry formed an economic partnership.

Ramaphosa advocated for a green industrial corridor linking the two nations via the Boegoebaai deepwater port and proposed integrating regional energy economies through the Orange basin. He also called for the finalization of a memorandum of understanding on geology and mining to support joint exploration of critical minerals.

Both nations committed to accelerating the Kudu Gas Power Project and improving the Trans-Kalahari Corridor. Namibia expressed support for South Africa's upcoming chairship of the Southern African Development Community in August 2026. President Nandi-Ndaitwah invited Ramaphosa to Namibia for the Fifth Session of the commission, an invitation he accepted.