European Parliament Delegation Visits South Africa to Deepen EU‑Africa Partnership
The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs will travel to South Africa from Monday to Wednesday to strengthen the EU’s strategic ties with one of the continent’s largest economies. Led by Committee Chair David McAllister (Germany), the six‑member delegation will hold meetings in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria, focusing on trade, security, migration and the EU’s Global Gateway investment programme.
Delegation Overview and Objectives
The visiting MEPs are:
- David McAllister (Germany – Committee Chair)
- Michael Gahler (Germany)
- Tonino Picula (Croatia)
- Harald Vilimsky (Austria)
- Bernard Guetta (France)
- Stanislav Stoyanov (Bulgaria)
According to the European Parliament’s press release, the delegation will discuss international partnerships in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, peace and security, political relations and the Global Gateway initiative – the EU’s global investment strategy that recently earmarked R220 billion for a Team Europe package with South Africa.
Chair McAllister is scheduled to brief the media at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg on Tuesday, outlining the EU’s expectations for deeper cooperation on trade facilitation, climate action and digital transformation.
Agenda in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria
The itinerary includes:
- Johannesburg – meetings with business leaders, civil society representatives and a media briefing at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
- Cape Town – a visit to the Biovac pharmaceutical facility and discussions with the Ministers of Trade, Industry and Competition and Science, Technology and Innovation.
- Pretoria – engagements with government officials on peace‑keeping, migration policy and the implementation of the Global Gateway projects.
These stops reflect the EU’s intention to align its partnership with South Africa’s National Development Plan and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), both of which aim to boost intra‑African trade and industrialisation.
Addressing Xenophobia and Immigration Reform
Parallel to the parliamentary visit, Build One South Africa (Bosa) chairman Mmusi Maimane will deliver a public address on Monday in the Constitution Hill district. His speech will focus on the “increasing xenophobic sentiment” observed in recent months and propose a vision for a “lawful, fair and humane immigration system.”
The address follows a series of anti‑immigration marches in Durban, KuGompo City, Pretoria and Johannesburg, sparked by a widely circulated video showing activist Nkosikhona Ndabandaba (known as Phakelumthakathi) ordering a Congolese national to leave the country before 30 June. Police warned that they would act against intimidation, public violence, hate speech or criminality linked to such demonstrations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the unrest, stating that the marches do not represent South Africa’s overall attitude toward foreigners, while acknowledging that undocumented migrants place pressure on health care, housing and municipal services in disadvantaged areas and can distort the labour market. He reiterated that violent attacks on foreigners are contrary to government policy.
Maimane’s proposed reforms echo recommendations from the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration, which advocate for streamlined asylum procedures, stronger labour‑market integration programmes and robust protections against discrimination.
Industrial and Health Cooperation: Biovac Visit
On Monday, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau will tour the Biovac pharmaceutical plant in Cape Town alongside Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Blade Nzimande. Founded in 2003 through a public‑private partnership, Biovac has become a cornerstone of South Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity, supplying routine immunisations and contributing to COVID‑19 vaccine production.
The visit forms part of the Department of Commerce’s stakeholder engagement programme for the 2026/27 budget vote, aiming to showcase the impact of government‑supported industrialisation, localisation strategies and strategic investments in priority sectors such as health‑care manufacturing.
Tau is also slated to deliver the ministry’s budget speech on Tuesday, detailing achievements from the previous financial year and outlining resource allocations for the upcoming annual performance plan.
Domestic Parliamentary Oversight Sessions
While the EU delegation is in the country, several South African parliamentary committees will convene to review domestic performance:
- The Home Affairs Portfolio Committee will receive the Home Office’s fourth‑quarter performance and expenditure reports for the 2025/26 financial year on Tuesday, including updates on asylum‑seeker reception backlogs and application rejections.
- The Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labor is expected to review the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) progress report on factory‑worker wages in Qwa‑Qwa on Wednesday, alongside updates from the Compensation Fund on the unbundling of these entities.
These oversight sessions underscore South Africa’s commitment to transparency and accountability, particularly as the country navigates economic recovery, labour market challenges and migration policy reform.
Conclusion
The concurrent European Parliament delegation, civil society engagement on immigration, and high‑level industrial visits illustrate a multifaceted approach to strengthening EU‑South Africa relations. By addressing trade, security, health‑care capacity and human‑rights concerns, both sides aim to build a partnership that is not only economically beneficial but also socially inclusive and resilient to emerging global challenges.
