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His Excellency President Jacob Zuma will travel to Angola for bilateral consultations with His Excellency Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, President of the Republic of Angola on 16 January 2013.

The objective of the visit is to further strengthen bilateral relations between South Africa and Angola.

President Zuma paid a State Visit to Angola from 19 to 21 August 2009, accompanied by eleven Ministers, in his first State Visit to a foreign country after his inauguration in May 2009. Subsequent to the State Visit to Angola by President Zuma, President dos Santos reciprocated by paying a State Visit to South Africa from 13 to 16 December 2010. During both State Visits, a number of Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the two countries were signed, which set the tone for a close and productive relationship between the two countries.

During the visit, the two Heads of State are expected to exchange views on issues affecting our bilateral relationship, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and the continent.

Angola chaired SADC during 2012 while South Africa was the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security. Both countries are still part of respectively the SADC Troika and the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Troika. In this regard, the two countries are working closely in the promotion of peace and stability as well as regional integration and the promotion of the SADC Agenda.

Angola is one of South Africa’s major trading partners on the continent and the main imports from Angola are petroleum and diamonds. Almost 90% of Angola exports to South Africa are petroleum related products.

South Africa also participated in the SADC Election Observation Mission to Angola’s last parliamentary elections which took place on 31 August 2012.