President Cyril Ramaphosa is preparing for an intense period of economic diplomacy, including participation in the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, and the COP27 climate negotiations to be held at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

In a statement, the Presidency reported that Ramaphosa would participate in a series of bilateral and multilateral engagements during October, November and December, describing economic diplomacy as a key lever for the realisation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to rebuild the economy.

In October, the South African President will meet host President Brahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain in Pretoria, before undertaking  a working visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He will then travel to Egypt in early November to participate in COP27, where South Africa is hoping to announce the conversion of the $8.5-billion Just Energy Transition Partnership offer made at COP26 by France, Germany, the UK, the US and the European Union into funding for projects in the electricity, electric vehicle and green hydrogen sectors.

He will then visit Kenya for his first engagement with recently elected President William Ruto, before participating in the G20 Summit in Bali, where leaders of the world’s major developed and emerging economies will hold discussions on global priorities, including the energy transition.

Also in November, Ramaphosa and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe will honour an invitation by King Charles III to undertake a State visit to the UK.

Then in early December, the President will host President Nicolás Maduro of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for bilateral discussions in Pretoria.