Rwanda and South Africa are moving to deepen diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations, with both countries agreeing on a series of measures aimed at restoring cooperation after years of strained ties. ALSO READ: Rwanda, South Africa agree to renew, expand ties The commitments follow talks held on June 17 in Pretoria between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe and his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola. Speaking in an interview with South African broadcaster SABC, Nduhungirehe said the visit was part of a broader effort agreed upon by Presidents Paul Kagame and Cyril Ramaphosa to normalise relations and rebuild cooperation mechanisms that had been dormant for years. We had challenges in our past, but there were engagements at the highest level between the two heads of state and we agreed since last year that we would have this ministerial visit in Pretoria to discuss the challenges and how to normalise our relations, Nduhungirehe said. This is an important visit that is aimed at normalising our relations[...] we had challenges in our past but there were engagements at the highest level between the two heads of states and we had agreed since last year that we will have this ministerial visit in Pretoria to... pic.twitter.com/m109K0DWfm — Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Int'l Cooperation (@RwandaMFA) June 19, 2026 Visa restoration and cooperation framework Among the key outcomes of the visit is an agreement to restore visa issuance for holders of ordinary Rwandan passports within the next 12 months, a move expected to facilitate travel, trade, tourism and educational exchanges. The two ministers also agreed to revive the Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC), a bilateral mechanism that oversees the implementation of agreements and identifies new areas of collaboration. According to Nduhungirehe, the next JCC meeting will take place in Kigali, in early 2027. First of all, we decided to resume those meetings of the Joint Commission for Cooperation and the meeting will take place in Kigali in the first quarter of next year, he said. ALSO READ: South Africa says to ease travel restrictions on Rwandans The minister noted that the mechanism has not convened since 2009, making its revival an important step in institutionalising engagement between the two countries. The developments build on agreements announced on Thursday following the Pretoria talks, where the two governments committed to strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and private sector engagement. Nduhungirehe said efforts are now underway to arrange a meeting between Presidents Kagame and Ramaphosa as part of the broader normalisation process. There was a visit that was scheduled at the end of last year which was postponed, he said, noting that the two leaders have already met on several occasions in recent years, including during the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and later in Brussels. We believe that after this visit we will work on finding suitable dates for the two heads of state in order to have that visit and engage further on how to normalise our relations. ALSO READ: Rwanda-South Africa talks offer opportunity for a new start, analysts say Mozambique security cooperation Beyond bilateral issues, the ministers also discussed regional security matters, including the situation in Mozambique where Rwanda has been supporting stabilisation efforts since 2021. Nduhungirehe said both countries have a strong interest in the success of peace and security initiatives in northern Mozambique. Rwanda has intervened in northern Mozambique since 2021, which helped the country stabilising. It helped internally displaced persons return home, children return to school and businesses reopen, he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda-Mozambique security cooperation to continue under bilateral arrangement He noted that South Africa remains one of Mozambique's most important economic partners and investors, making continued consultation between Kigali and Pretoria necessary. It is important for us to continue exchanging views, updates and information between ourselves so that we can succeed further in stabilising Mozambique, he added. Rwanda's security deployment, launched at the request of the Mozambican government, has been credited with helping recapture territories previously occupied by ISIS-linked insurgents in Cabo Delgado Province and facilitating the return of thousands of residents. ALSO READ: Rwanda, South Africa on new path to normalising ties Eastern DR Congo and African-led solutions The ministers also exchanged views on efforts to end the conflict in eastern DR Congo. Nduhungirehe said Rwanda welcomed ongoing mediation initiatives led by the United States and Qatar but stressed the importance of maintaining African involvement in efforts to secure a lasting solution. We believe that beyond those external mediations it is important for the African Union, regional economic communities and regional mechanisms to be involved, he said. According to the minister, African institutions possess the historical knowledge and institutional experience necessary to address the root causes of the conflict. The continent knows the root causes of this crisis, he said. Nduhungirehe also pointed to South Africa's upcoming role as chair of the oversight mechanism for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DR Congo and the Great Lakes Region, saying Pretoria could play an important role in advancing discussions on sustainable peace. ALSO READ: South Africa's Ramaphosa says political solution needed in DR Congo crisis Africa's voice on global crises The discussions also touched on the impact of conflicts outside Africa, particularly the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, which have had economic consequences across the continent. Nduhungirehe said African countries must work together to ensure their concerns are reflected in international discussions on global crises. In Rwanda, as in many other countries, we had to increase the pump price, which is not easy for our population, for a conflict that we didn't initiate, he said. He argued that African countries should speak more cohesively on international issues that affect their economies and security. Sometimes with these conflicts outside the continent, the voice of Africa is not heard, Nduhungirehe said. We Africans should be able to speak with one voice and provide our way forward.
