South Africa's water and sanitation Deputy Minister Dikeledi Phillistus Magadzi stated on Monday that they attach great importance to its relations with Türkiye and hope to strengthen ties even further.
"On behalf of the South African government, it's a pleasure to come and pay homage in celebrations with the people of Türkiye," Magadzi told guests at an event marking Türkiye's 99th Republic Day celebrations held at the Turkish ambassador's residence in the capital Pretoria.
Magadzi said her government is encouraged by recent visits by officials from both countries, giving the example of the visit by South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor to Türkiye early this year.
Pandor visited Türkiye for the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, an annual conference on international diplomacy. She held bilateral talks with her counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu during her visit.
Magadzi also extended her condolences to Türkiye following the recent tragic coal mine explosion in northern Türkiye which claimed over 40 lives.
She said her country can benefit by tapping into Türkiye's 99 years of experience by working together to address the challenges they face.
The South African government designated Magadzi as well as the Deputy Minister of Social Development Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu to represent the country at the Republic Day event.
Relations blossoming
Addressing guests, Türkiye's Ambassador to South Africa Ayşegül Kandaş said she was happy that relations between the two countries are flourishing at all levels, from politics to trade and investment, and person-to-person relations.
Kandaş said that next year they expect Çavuşoğlu to visit South Africa, which will pave the way for the inaugural session of the Bi-National Commission later in the year to enhance relations further.
They also hope South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit Türkiye next year.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited South Africa in 2018 to attend the BRICS summit. The grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, countries that share over 20% of the global economy.
This year's Republic Day celebrations were the largest since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted gatherings for the past two years.
Quite a few ambassadors accredited to Pretoria, as well as representatives of the South African government and the private sector and officials of Turkish institutions including the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Turkish Airlines, the Yunus Emre Institute and the Maarif Foundation were in attendance as well as Turks living in the country.
There was also live music and an art exhibition at the event.