South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, emphasized the significance of the upcoming India-Africa Summit in fostering cooperation between the two regions. The summit, scheduled for May, aims to address various critical areas of collaboration, including global governance, multilateral system reform, and common security challenges like terrorism. Sooklal highlighted the historical ties between India and Africa and the potential for the summit to set a new course for their partnership.
The envoy praised the past India-Africa Forum Summits and expressed optimism about the forthcoming summit’s role in enhancing cooperation. He underscored the importance of education and skills development, noting India’s contribution of over 85,000 scholarships and skills training programs to Africa. Sooklal also lauded India’s advancements in the pharmaceutical sector and highlighted the potential for collaboration in health, industrialization, agriculture, and mineral resources between India and Africa.
India is set to host the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit on May 31, 2026, in New Delhi, in partnership with the African Union Commission. The summit aims to strengthen the enduring partnership between India and Africa and expand cooperation across various sectors. South Africa is expected to participate in the summit with a high-level delegation, including representatives from the business sector, to further enhance bilateral ties with India.
