South Africa, Singapore celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Deputy President Mashatile delivers a public lecture on the 30 years of diplomatic relations between South Africa and Singapore titled “Celebrating a journey of mutual respect, strategic partnership, and cooperation”,  at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore.
The Deputy President’s visit to the country is aimed at celebrating the milestone in diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries. The working visit is designed to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly increasing trade, economic, knowledge, and cultural exchange between the two states. The visit is also to celebrate the legacies of their founding democratic leaders, President Nelson Mandela and Prime Minister  Lee Kuan Yew.
The Deputy President is accompanied in Singapore by the Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Candith Mashego-Dlamini, Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry, and Competition, Ms. Nomalungelo Gina, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Mr. Buti Manamela, Deputy Minister for Communication and Digital Technologies, Mr. Philly Mapulane, Deputy Minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms. Magdalene Sotyu, Professor Busani Ngcaweni, Principal of the National School of Government, and senior government officials.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile also toured the Institute for Technical Education (ITE)  College  Central which offers amongst many others the Aerospace Hub: School of Engineering, Smart Manufacturing Hub, User Experience Hub, and the School of Design & Media. The Deputy President’s visit to Singapore is aimed at building and strengthening bilateral relations, particularly increasing trade, economic, knowledge, and cultural exchange between the two states.
Singapore is a global financial hub and is considered one of the premier asset management centres in Asia. The World Bank has ranked Singapore as the number one country in the world for ease of doing business since 2006, and the country is an important global aviation and maritime hub.
Singapore is also considered an important gateway for the export of goods and services to Southeast Asia and a hub for joint venture partnerships throughout Asia. It is an important centre for South African businesses looking for opportunities or expand operations on the continent.