The Prime Minister met President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg on 21 November ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. Downing Street thanked South Africa for hosting the first G20 on African soil and described the gathering as an important moment for international cooperation. The two leaders are due to continue their conversation during the summit on 22–23 November.
The meeting restated a pragmatic focus on the UK–South Africa economic relationship. The Department for Business and Trade identifies South Africa as the UK’s largest trading partner in Africa, accounting for roughly a third of UK trade with the continent. UK exports to South Africa totalled about £4.9 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2025, with cars and pharmaceuticals among the top goods.
Trade operates under the SACUM‑UK Economic Partnership Agreement, which preserves preferential access and provides continuity on tariffs, tariff‑rate quotas and rules of origin. The agreement allows certain cumulation arrangements and requires exporters to meet product‑specific rules to claim preferences. Businesses should check current tariff schedules and origin documentation to ensure compliance.
Officials cited trains and components built in Derby and used in South Africa as a practical example of industrial cooperation. The reference reflects long‑standing rail links, including historic Gautrain carriages produced in the UK and assembled in South Africa, underlining supply‑chain depth between the two countries.
On Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK objective of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace consistent with the UN Charter and Ukraine’s sovereignty. This aligns with recent UK‑backed statements at the WTO and among G7 leaders, including support for elements of Ukraine’s Peace Formula and long‑term security cooperation with Kyiv.
On Sudan, the UK emphasised the need for a humanitarian truce as a step toward a durable ceasefire and political process. Recent UK statements have pressed for immediate pauses around El‑Fasher, expanded humanitarian access, accountability for atrocities and readiness to bring forward targeted sanctions in response to abuses.
No new initiatives were announced in Johannesburg, but the discussion confirmed continuity in UK policy: backing Ukraine’s sovereignty, pushing for humanitarian access and ceasefire efforts in Sudan, and deepening commercial ties with South Africa within the existing EPA framework. Both leaders will reconvene during the G20 sessions on 22–23 November.
For officials and firms, the immediate actions are operational rather than rhetorical: verify rules of origin, ensure documentation is aligned to the SACUM‑UK EPA, and use DBT’s market guidance to scope sector opportunities. Those steps translate summit‑level intent into concrete commercial outcomes.