Building on the commitment to advance the Strategic Partnership, the two countries’ agriculture will reach a consensus on a cooperation framework in November.
On October 24, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep held a bilateral meeting with South African Minister of Agriculture John Henry Steenhuisen. The meeting took place right after the leaders of both countries decided that Vietnam and South Africa would soon establish a Strategic Partnership within this year.
The bilateral meeting between Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep and South African Minister of Agriculture John Henry Steenhuisen. Photo: Kieu Chi.Leveraging the “gateway” advantage to expand regional cooperation
At the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep noted that trade turnover between Vietnam and South Africa has been on the rise in recent years, increasing from 98.6 million USD in 2023 to 106.3 million USD in 2024.
He emphasized that once diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Africa are upgraded to the level of a Strategic Partnership, it will mark an important step in deepening and expanding bilateral agricultural cooperation. “Agriculture plays a crucial role in the relations between our two countries. This is a favorable moment to strengthen cooperation and expand both the scale and value of two-way agricultural trade,” he affirmed.
According to the Deputy Minister, Vietnam serves as the gateway to the ASEAN region, while South Africa is the gateway to the African continent. This gives enterprises from both countries a strong advantage in regional connectivity and access to broader markets.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep at the meeting with the South African Minister of Agriculture. Photo: Kieu Chi.Deputy Minister Hiep also proposed that South Africa soon open its market to several Vietnamese agricultural products such as lychee, dragon fruit, longan, star fruit, rambutan, as well as chicken products, handicrafts, wooden goods, and furniture.
In response, Minister John Henry Steenhuisen expressed gratitude to Viet Nam for facilitating the entry of South African citrus fruits, including oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, and lemons into the Vietnamese market. He hoped that the import volumes of these fruits would continue to increase, reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to ensuring quality and food safety standards.
The Minister also shared that South Africa has a diverse supply of meats, including beef, lamb, game meat, and ostrich meat. He expressed hope that Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment would consider opening its market to these products. Additionally, South Africa is interested in exporting dairy products, especially UHT milk, along with stone fruits and berries such as apples and blueberries.
“We hope to supply these products regularly to the Vietnamese market, thereby contributing to diversifying sources of supply,” the Minister stated.
Vietnam ready to expedite signing of MoU
Minister Steenhuisen welcomed Vietnam’s cooperation proposals and emphasized that the two countries can complement each other’s strengths, particularly in the off-season fruit segment. He suggested: “The South African Ministry of Agriculture hopes to soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to establish an official cooperation channel. This will help boost South Africa’s agricultural exports to Viet Nam while facilitating Vietnamese products’ entry into our market.”
Mr. John Henry Steenhuise, South African Minister of Agriculture. Photo: Kieu Chi.He added that this cooperation document would serve as a “beacon” guiding bilateral agricultural relations in the years to come.
"At a time when many countries are leaning toward protectionism and closing their markets, Vietnam and South Africa remain steadfast in pursuing openness, integration, and shared development. Agriculture stands as the key sector embodying this spirit of cooperation, as it not only provides livelihoods for millions but also ensures food security and socio-economic stability," the Minister underscored.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep shared that the Vietnam-South Africa agricultural cooperation MoU will include two main components: a framework of principles for collaboration, and provisions encouraging mutual investment between businesses of both sides. Both parties also agreed to promote technical cooperation activities through South-South and Triangle Cooperation.
He proposed that both sides set a target to sign the MoU in November, affirming that Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment would take the lead and closely coordinate with relevant units to complete the procedures as soon as possible.
South Africa's key products include maize, wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, apples, pears, wine, and livestock such as cattle, sheep, and poultry. South Africa is a net exporter of agricultural products, particularly renowned for its fresh fruit and wine.