Pretoria and Nairobi cement ties as Ramaphosa hails strategic partnership and Ruto pushes for borderless African trade
The Mt Kenya Times 
President Cyril Ramaphosa hosts President William Ruto
Two leaders sign six new agreements and direct ministers to dismantle barriers choking intra-African commerce
By Norman Mwale
South Africa and Kenya have moved to deepen a partnership both presidents described as pivotal to continental prosperity, with Cyril Ramaphosa praising decades of solidarity and William Ruto calling on the two nations to dismantle the remaining barriers to trade, investment and industrial growth.
Speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday, during Ruto’s two-day state visit, Ramaphosa said the relationship with Kenya was “longstanding, cordial and mutually beneficial,” rooted in a shared commitment to democracy, regional integration and multilateralism. “Kenya remains one of South Africa’s most important strategic partners in East Africa and on the continent more broadly,” he said, adding that Pretoria valued Nairobi “as a gateway to East Africa, as one of the leading voices on matters of peace, security and development on the continent.”
The visit culminated in the signing of six memoranda of understanding covering agriculture, tourism, energy, transport, maritime cooperation, gender equality, technical and vocational training, arts and heritage, and sports development. Ramaphosa said the agreements “provide a legal framework to further expand our cooperation,” building on 28 accords concluded since 1994.
Ruto framed the moment as an economic imperative. Speaking at a joint press conference, he said Kenya and South Africa must lead by example in unlocking the African Continental Free Trade Area. “We agreed to harness the tripartite alliance and the AfCFTA to expand access and reduce costs to unlock the full promise of intra-African trade,” he said. Addressing business leaders in Midrand, he was direct: “Business people should not hold us back. Let us embrace bigger markets and be competitive. In Europe, trade between countries stands at 70 per cent while here in Africa it stands at 19 per cent. We must correct this situation.”
Trade figures lent weight to the diplomatic warmth. Bilateral trade rose from $590 million in 2024 to $650 million in 2025, according to Ruto, while South African data showed total trade increasing from R9.3 billion in 2016 to R10.5 billion in 2025. Ramaphosa noted that Kenya was South Africa’s largest trading partner in East Africa and a growing base for South African firms operating in pharmaceuticals, retail, financial services, information and communications technology, manufacturing and infrastructure.
Both leaders directed their trade ministers to dismantle tariff and non-tariff barriers constraining commerce, with a communiqué tasking ministers with developing “a sustainable mechanism to identify, monitor, and resolve the non-tariff barriers that limit the trade potential between both countries.”
The AfCFTA featured prominently throughout the talks. Ramaphosa recalled witnessing the first shipment of South African exports to Kenya under preferential AfCFTA terms in January 2024, saying the agreement “must serve as a catalyst for inclusive growth, industrialisation and job creation.” Trade Minister Parks Tau said both nations were “well positioned to harness the African Continental Free Trade Area for improved trade growth, complementary regional gateways and job-creating investments.”
Beyond economics, the presidents aligned on continental security, referencing the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Western Sahara. “Working together, South Africa and Kenya can help shape a peaceful and thriving African continent that is always able to resolve its own problems — African solutions for African problems,” Ramaphosa said.
The visit also highlighted people-to-people ties. Ramaphosa credited the visa-free travel regime introduced in 2022 — which he said Ruto had “twisted his arm” into approving — with growing tourism, business travel and cultural exchange between the two countries.
With more than 60 South African companies operating in Kenya and a Kenya-South Africa Business Council now in development, both governments signalled confidence that closer political alignment would translate into tangible economic gains. “This state visit has further strengthened the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two countries,” Ramaphosa said. “It has laid a firm foundation for deeper collaboration in trade, investment, industrialisation, infrastructure development, skills development and regional integration.”
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