South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Namibian counterpart, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, will co-chair the fourth session of the South Africa–Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Pretoria on Friday, both offices announced.
The neighbouring countries seek to deepen political and economic cooperation despite anti-migrant tensions.
State broadcaster SABC reports the meeting underscores the longstanding relationship between the two Southern African nations, whose ties are rooted in a shared struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
According to South Africa's Presidency, Namibia remains one of Pretoria's key strategic partners, with bilateral relations coordinated through the Bi-National Commission, which was established in 2013. Friday's gathering will be the fourth session of the commission.
"Namibia’s political stability and close ties with South Africa position it as a key strategic partner within the SADC region, the African Union, as well as on the global stage. The two countries share aligned views on advancing the political and economic integration of the African continent,” Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
The summit also comes as Ramaphosa has pledged to strengthen relations with African neighbours following concerns over anti-migrant protests in South Africa.
Anti-migrant protests
In recent months, more than 100 Namibian nationals have voluntarily returned home or been repatriated following anti-immigrant protests and xenophobic violence that targeted foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
The Namibian government coordinated voluntary return efforts through border crossings.
Many of those who returned had been working in sectors such as domestic services, agriculture and hairdressing, particularly in the Western Cape, and reportedly left behind personal belongings as they fled the unrest.
During the meetings, government officials and business leaders from both countries are expected to discuss ways to strengthen trade, investment and regional industrialisation, which will be held under the theme 'Driving Regional Industrialisation, Investment and Sustainable Growth Through Strategic South Africa–Namibia Partnerships'.
