International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, is today hosting her Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi.

According to the department, the two Ministers will hold consultations focusing on various bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

“The visit of the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs marks the continuation of high-level engagements between South Africa and Japan on a bilateral level, and is a follow-up to a telephonic engagement between the two Ministers in early June 2023,” the department added.

Japan, the department said, is one of the major investors with over R90 billion injected into the South African economy.

The East Asian country also has a presence of 273 companies, sustaining over 200 000 local job opportunities.

The department said investments by Japan in the automotive industry include Toyota’s R4.28 billion, Nissan’s R3.2 billion, and Isuzu’s R1.2 billion in the past two years.

Meanwhile, Sumitomo Rubber, Komatsu, Kansai Paint, NEC, Lixel, Nomura Investment, and Tokyo Marine made several new investments.

At the conclusion of the visit of the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pandor will launch the Mapungubwe Dialogues.

It is expected that Ministers in the Presidency, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Maropene Ramokgopa, will be among the participants.

Mapungubwe Dialogues is a series of dialogues and open discussions bringing together members of the Diplomatic Corps from the Continent that are based in Pretoria as well as think tanks and African Union Organs based in South Africa.

The launch is timely as it takes place during the 10th anniversary of the adoption of Agenda 2063.

Source: South African Government News Agency