Tokyo to provide financial backing for South Africa’s energy sector and support G20 dialogue, aiming to strengthen economic cooperation across Africa.
Japan has expressed support for South Africa’s presidency of the G20 summit and pledged to increase Tokyo’s investments in South Africa and the rest of Africa.
Japanese ambassador to South Africa Fumio Shimizu said out of the 324 documents produced at the recent Tokyo International Conference on African Development held in Yokohama, Japan, in August, 16 were on investments in South Africa.
He gave no details but promised that among the areas being considered was renewable energy.
Japan backs South Africa’s G20 presidency
Japan would provide financial assistance to the South African energy sector, which included financing the Development Bank of Southern Africa to undertake renewable energy projects.
Japan is the seventh largest investor in South Africa with R51 billion as of 2024, with approximately 250 companies employing 150 000 workers invested in the country.
The envoy said Japan is SA’s sixth largest trading partner and Japan relies on South Africa for mineral resources such as the platinum group metals, manganese and chromium.
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Japan is the top importer of rooibos and has 30% of the market share in the world.
Shimizu said Japan’s recently elected prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, could attend the leaders’ summit next week, but that has not been finalised.
The prime minister has to get the nod from the Japanese parliament, but Shimizu was optimistic about Takaichi’s participation in the G20 summit.
Japan’s participation in the summit
Takaichi assumed office on 21 October, becoming the first female prime minister of Japan in history. Shimizu said Japan would like to see all G20 members participate in the gathering and it still hoped that the United States would be represented as well, even if not by President Donald Trump.
Responding to specific questions about the US boycott of the G20 in South Africa, Shimizu said Japan believed rather than pursuing confrontation, the G20 nations should pursue dialogue, find common ground and promote cooperation.
Trump has announced that no US official would attend the summit. This meant even US Vice-President JD Vance would not attend, although Trump initially said he would represent the country.
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In her policy speech delivered during her inauguration in Tokyo last month, Takaichi promised to strengthen and intensify cooperation with Africa to enable the continent to tackle its numerous problems.
She also cited a shift in the international balance of forces and many geopolitical challenges facing the international community.
Japan, Takaichi said, would strengthen its alliances, especially its cooperation with the US and would increase its defence budget from 1% to 2% of gross domestic product towards 2027.
Strengthen alliances
Shimizu said Japan would cooperate with South Africa in the context of the G20.
He said Japan wanted to help strengthen Africa’s industrialisation process so it can tackle its economic challenges.
