Overview
- President William Ruto completed a reciprocal State Visit hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings on Thursday, where both leaders held official talks and public briefings.
- Officials signed six memoranda of understanding covering trade facilitation, maritime cooperation, gender and women’s empowerment, technical and vocational training, arts and culture, and sport to create concrete cooperation frameworks.
- The presidents convened a Kenya–South Africa Business Forum to mobilise private investment and cited rising bilateral trade, reported at roughly $650–680 million in 2025, as a base for deeper AfCFTA‑led integration.
- Ramaphosa rejected labels of xenophobia, said South Africans want peaceful coexistence with other Africans, and announced plans to dispatch envoys to engage governments on migration challenges and seek African‑led solutions.
- Both governments signalled plans to institutionalise closer ties by pursuing a Strategic Partnership and a proposed South Africa–Kenya Joint Business Council, a move that could speed private‑sector deals, improve logistics links and expand job opportunities if implemented.