President Cyril Ramaphosa has left the country for Egypt, where he will join other African leaders for the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.
The high-level meeting brings together the AU Bureau, heads of Regional Economic Communities and heads of AU institutions to review progress on continental integration, trade, infrastructure, and peace and security.
Ramaphosa is attending the summit in his capacity as president and as chair of SADC.
He is accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, and Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau.
According to the presidency, the Mid-Year meeting is meant to take stock of how far the continent has gone in implementing its key flagship programmes.
The agenda will include a review of the work of the AU Development Agency – NEPAD in driving regional and continental integration and an assessment of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The AfCFTA, which is central to South Africa’s industrial and export strategy, will be under sharp focus as leaders discuss market access, rules of origin, and progress in the Guided Trade Initiative.
Leaders will also be briefed on infrastructure development, particularly water and sanitation projects, at a time when climate change and rapid urbanisation continue to put pressure on African cities.
Peace and security will be another major focus. With conflicts raging in Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahel and parts of the Horn of Africa, and a wave of coups in West Africa, AU leaders are expected to discuss how to strengthen conflict prevention and early warning systems.
According to the presidency, the summit is also a crucial diplomatic platform as SADC Chair.
Ramaphosa is expected to carry the region’s position on the security situation in the eastern DRC, where South African soldiers are deployed under the SADC Mission, as well as developments in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
His visit to Egypt came days after South Africa, and Egypt launched the Joint South Africa-Egypt Business Council on the sidelines of the Alamein-Africa Business Forum.
The Council seeks to deepen trade and investment, with bilateral trade having grown by 26% to R4.3 billion in 2025, and to unlock cooperation in automotive manufacturing, mining, agriculture and green energy.
The Mid-Year Coordination Meeting was established as the main interface between the AU and the RECs to align programmes and improve delivery, replacing the previous system of two full AU summits a year
On the sidelines of the summit, Ramaphosa is expected to hold bilateral talks with several counterparts on trade, energy, and security.