South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to undertake a three-day series of high-profile engagements covering investment, industrialisation, regional diplomacy and basic services delivery.
The programme begins Thursday with Ramaphosa attending the Toyota Hilux Line-Off Ceremony at Toyota South Africa Motors’ manufacturing plant in Prospecton, Durban.
The ceremony marks the start of local production of Toyota’s latest-generation Hilux model at the facility.
Toyota’s R10.4 billion investment is expected to strengthen South Africa’s manufacturing capacity, improve export competitiveness and support job creation in the region.
The Presidency stated the investment reinforces South Africa’s position as a leading automotive manufacturing hub and signals continued investor confidence in the country’s industrial sector.
Later Thursday evening, Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address at the Special Economic Zones Achievement Awards Gala Dinner at the Durban International Convention Centre.
The event honours the contribution of South Africa’s 12 designated Special Economic Zones to industrialisation, exports, investment attraction, job creation, skills development and technology transfer.
The SEZ programme has attracted more than R31 billion in investment from 224 companies and created more than 28,000 direct jobs, according to the Presidency.
On Friday, Ramaphosa will co-chair the fourth South Africa-Namibia Bi-National Commission alongside Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in Pretoria.
The commission represents the highest structured platform for bilateral cooperation between the two neighboring countries, covering trade, defence, security and environmental management.
The two countries have concluded 75 bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding, spanning political cooperation, science and technology, social development and the historic transfer of Walvis Bay.
More than 50 South African companies invested approximately US$1.2 billion in Namibia between 2023 and 2025, generating around 4,900 jobs across mining, banking, insurance, renewable energy and property sectors.
The bilateral session will also feature the South Africa-Namibia Business Forum under the theme “Driving Regional Industrialisation, Investment and Sustainable Growth Through Strategic South Africa-Namibia Partnerships.”
On Saturday, Ramaphosa will officiate the launch of the Unserved Communities Access Acceleration Programme as part of Nelson Mandela International Day activities.
The programme targets historically underserved communities and aims to expand access to sustainable, decentralised groundwater treatment solutions across rural and peri-urban areas.
Launch events will take place in the Eastern Cape and Hammanskraal in Gauteng, with the initiative supporting the long-term objectives of the Presidential Water Crisis Committee.
The Presidency said the programme aligns with the 2026 Mandela Day themes of equality and active citizenship, honoring the former president’s lifelong commitment to justice.
