InterRegional for Strategic Analysis

In recent months, cooperation between France and South Africa has expanded significantly across a range of areas. In particular, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to France in July 2026 marked another important milestone in the development of bilateral relations, with the two countries focusing on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, clean energy, defense, and education, while coordinating their positions on regional and international issues.This rapprochement has extended beyond bilateral relations, reflecting broader strategic considerations related to shifting balances of influence in Africa and efforts to strengthen European-African cooperation. In this context, the fifth France-South Africa Business Forum, held in Johannesburg in September 2026, <a href="https://www.thedtic.gov.za/deputy-minister-steenhuisen-calls-for-deeper-france-south-africa-economic-partnerships/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">underscored</a> the importance of deepening economic and investment ties between the two countries. The forum brought together business leaders, investors, and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for expanding bilateral economic cooperation. The two countries are also scheduled to hold their Defense Strategic Dialogue in October 2026.Key DriversSeveral factors have contributed to the recent expansion of ties between France and South Africa:1. Leveraging South Africa’s regional influence: South Africa is one of the main regional powers on the African continent and in Southern Africa, reflecting its economic and military weight. It is Africa’s largest economy in terms of gross domestic product, which <a href="https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPD@WEO/ZAF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reached</a> $427.14 billion in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund estimates. South Africa also possesses significant military capabilities and has the highest military expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), with defense spending <a href="https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/2604_milex_2025.pdf?utm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reaching</a> $3.2 billion in 2025.South Africa is also a member of influential international forums, most notably BRICS and the G20, whose members account for approximately <a href="https://www.gov.za/news/events/government-activities/g20-presidency" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">85%</a> of global GDP, more than 75% of international trade, and around two-thirds of the world’s population.2. Recalibrating France’s Africa policy: Paris has sought to develop new partnerships with influential regional powers such as South Africa, as part of a broader effort to maintain a degree of strategic influence on the continent while moving away from a model centered on direct military deployments. This shift has taken place amid the gradual drawdown of France’s military and security presence in West Africa since 2020.Since the end of Operation Barkhane, which had been the main pillar of the French military presence in the Sahel, France has progressively reduced its military footprint in the region through a series of withdrawals. In February 2023, it wound up the Sabre <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20230220-french-army-officially-ends-operations-in-burkina-faso" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mission</a> in Burkina Faso, then concluded its military withdrawal from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/niger-france-sahel-coup-troops-security-macron-97c8ccfe880169832965c33e96d7befe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Niger</a> in December 2023. The drawdown continued in February 2025, when France handed over its <a href="https://www.aletihad.ae/news/%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A/4553552/%D9%83%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A2%D8%AE%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%B6%D9%87%D8%A7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">military base</a> in Côte d’Ivoire, and culminated in July 2025 with the transfer of France’s remaining military facilities in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/france-ends-permanent-troop-presence-senegal-2025-07-17/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dakar</a> to the Senegalese authorities.3. Expanding French influence in Anglophone Africa: As part of its efforts to strengthen its influence across Africa, Paris has increasingly looked beyond countries where it has longstanding historical and linguistic ties to expand its engagement with Anglophone African states.One of the latest manifestations of this approach was the "Africa Forward: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth" summit, hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 11–12, 2026. It was the first <a href="https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2026/03/17/africa-forward-africa-france-partnerships-for-innovation-and-growth-summit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">summit</a> of its kind to be hosted by an English-speaking African country. The summit brought together heads of state and government, business leaders, youth representatives, artists, civil society organizations, and representatives of the African diaspora to promote dialogue on the future of the France-Africa partnership.The summit built on a series of previous initiatives and international meetings, including the Summit on the Financing of African Economies hosted by Paris in 2021, the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact held in Paris in 2023, the Africa Climate Summit hosted by Nairobi that same year, and the European Union-African Union Summit held in Luanda in November 2025.4. Developing alternative Western partnerships: By strengthening relations with France, Pretoria is seeking to develop additional Western partnerships as an alternative to relying primarily on the United States, particularly amid growing tensions between South Africa and Washington during President Donald Trump’s second term.These tensions were reflected in the U.S. president’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/trump-says-no-us-government-official-will-attend-g20-summit-south-africa-2025-11-07/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announcement</a> that no U.S. government official would attend the G20 Summit held in South Africa in November 2025, citing alleged "human rights abuses." In February 2025, Trump also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-executive-order-aimed-south-africa-white-house-official-says-2025-02-07/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signed</a> an executive order suspending financial assistance to South Africa, citing what he described as the mistreatment of certain groups of South African citizens and the confiscation of their land, as well as South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.5. Attracting French investment: South Africa is seeking to attract French investment across several sectors, particularly infrastructure. As part of this effort, Pretoria has been promoting the opportunities available to foreign investors, including through the South Africa Investment Conference. Speaking in July 2026, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the <a href="https://dirco.gov.za/opening-remarks-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-to-the-french-republic-10-july-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strong presence</a> of French companies at the conference’s sixth edition, held in March 2026, where 30 French companies pledged approximately €1.11 billion in investments across several key economic sectors.Ramaphosa also noted that several economic agreements with France were under negotiation, including agreements related to the transportation sector and cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He also emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation in science, technology, and innovation.Clear IndicatorsSeveral developments point to the growing rapprochement between France and South Africa:1. Institutionalizing high-level political dialogue: France and South Africa have maintained regular platforms for high-level political dialogue, most notably the ministerial-level Forum for Political Dialogue, which held its <a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/declaration-conjointe-afrique-du-sud-forum-de-dialogue-politique-au-niveau-ministeriel-entre-la" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ninth session</a> in May 2025. In July 2026, the two countries <a href="https://dirco.gov.za/opening-remarks-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-to-the-french-republic-10-july-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signed</a> a memorandum of understanding to upgrade this forum into a Joint Ministerial Commission, thereby transforming it into a more structured framework for high-level dialogue between Paris and Pretoria.Reciprocal visits also help sustain political discussions on issues of mutual interest, most recently <a href="https://za.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/official-visit-president-ramaphosa-france-july-10-12-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">illustrated</a> by the South African president’s visit to France in July 2026.2. Coordinating on regional and international issues: France and South Africa have sought to exchange political views and coordinate their positions on regional and international issues of shared concern. The two countries have <a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/declaration-conjointe-afrique-du-sud-forum-de-dialogue-politique-au-niveau-ministeriel-entre-la" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">agreed</a>, for example, to continue coordinating diplomatic efforts toward a lasting and viable solution to the escalating security instability in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have also emphasized the importance of supporting an international order based on multilateralism and international law, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.Both countries have also called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine and expressed support for a peaceful and inclusive approach to resolving the conflict through a negotiated settlement based on the principles of the UN Charter, particularly respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Nevertheless, their respective approaches toward the parties to the conflict differ in practice.3. Expanding trade and investment cooperation: Bilateral trade between France and South Africa <a href="https://www.trademap.org/en/goods/time-series/exports/c/251/c/710/p/ALL/byProduct/year/default/4/direct/values/USD/table" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increased</a> from approximately $2.35 billion in 2024 to around $2.6 billion in 2025. Since 2019, French companies have invested approximately <a href="https://www.fsacci.com/news/n/news/french-investment-in-south-africa-building-on-a-long-term-partnership.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">€8.5</a> billion and created more than 80,000 jobs in South Africa.With approximately <a href="https://za.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/relations-bilaterales/trade-and-business-relations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">480</a> French companies or subsidiaries operating in the country, France ranks as South Africa’s 11th-largest foreign investor. French foreign direct investment stock in South Africa stood at approximately €4.3 billion at the end of 2024, underscoring the growing importance of economic and commercial ties between the two countries.4. Strengthening cultural and scientific cooperation: The French Institute of South Africa (<a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/information-by-country/south-africa/france-and-south-africa?utm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IFAS</a>) has played an important role in strengthening cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries. It is a major partner of leading South African festivals in areas such as dance, visual arts, music, literature, and film, and the two countries also signed a television and film co-production agreement in May 2022. Meanwhile, educational ties include two French secondary schools that are operating in South Africa.Vocational training is another important component of the partnership, supported by a French government scholarship program and five training centers. Furthermore, in scientific cooperation, France has become South Africa’s fourth-largest partner, with researchers from the two countries co-authoring more than 940 scientific papers in 2017.5. Advancing security cooperation: France and South Africa have shown growing interest in strengthening bilateral military and security cooperation. For France, defense and security cooperation with South Africa is particularly important given South Africa’s relative geographic proximity to the <a href="https://za.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/relations-bilaterales/defence-and-security-cooperation?utm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">French</a> territories of Réunion and Mayotte, as well as its influential role on the African continent.Against this backdrop, during the South African president’s visit to France in July 2026, the two countries agreed to <a href="https://dirco.gov.za/opening-remarks-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-to-the-french-republic-10-july-2026/?utm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hold</a> their 13th Defense Strategic Dialogue in South Africa in October 2026, with the aim of advancing future defense cooperation and exploring additional areas of security cooperation.Overall, the growing rapprochement between France and South Africa reflects a shared interest in developing a broader bilateral partnership amid ongoing geopolitical and economic shifts. The relationship is underpinned by a mutual recognition of each country’s recognition of the other’s importance. For its part, France views South Africa as one of Africa’s main regional powers, an influential participant in global and regional forums including the G20, BRICS, and the African Union, and an important gateway to Southern African markets. South Africa, meanwhile, is seeking to diversify its international partnerships and deepen its ties with European powers in investment, energy, technology, and security.Given these drivers, cooperation between the two countries is likely to continue its upward trajectory, supported by converging economic, political, and security interests.

What Is Driving the Rapprochement Between South Africa and France?