About

The Honorary Consulate of South Africa to St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region is the authority of external relations of the Republic of South Africa, established on the territory of the Russian Federation to perform certain functions.

The area of activity of the Consul is determined by an agreement between the two states.

The rights, privileges and immunities of the Consulate include: the right to use the flag and national emblem; inviolability of the premises; tax exemption; inviolability of consular archives; freedom of relations of the consulate with its government, diplomatic mission and other consulates of its state, wherever they are.

History of Bilateral Relations between South Africa and the Russian Federation

1. On 28 February 2022, the Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation will mark 30 years since the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation. South Africa and Russia’s relations are historic, as they date back to the apartheid era when Russia supported the people of South Africa and South Africa’s liberation movements in the struggle for freedom and equality against the oppressive apartheid regime.


2. The Declaration on a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation signed by former President JG Zuma and President VV Putin during the Official Visit by President Putin on the margins of the 5th BRICS Summit in March 2013 affirmed the strategic partnership between South Africa and Russia and set the principles and framework for an equitable and mutually beneficial partnership that supports the two countries national development priorities, the African agenda and the establishment of a peaceful, just and democratic global governance system.


3. The signing of the Declaration on a Strategic Partnership in 2013 was preceded by the South Africa-Russia Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation that was signed during President Putin’s visit to South Africa in 2006. Furthermore, during the visit to the Russian Federation by President Zuma in August 2010, both Presidents agreed to convene Presidential Summits every two years in order to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation.


4. South Africa’s bilateral relations with the Russian Federation are informed by political, economic, social, defence and security cooperation and all the relevant legal instruments and mechanisms that affirm the strategic relationship between the two countries such as the Protocol on Political Consultations signed in 1994, the Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation signed in 1995, Declaration of Principles on Friendly Relations and Partnership signed in 1999, the Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) signed in 1999, the Joint Inter-governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation established in 2002, the Treaty of Friendship and Partnership signed in 2006 and the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation signed in March 2013, among others.


5. The ITEC remains the main structured bilateral mechanism between South Africa and Russia, and since 1999 it has proven to be an effective instrument in contributing directly to improved two-way trade and investment, as well as critical skills development and technology exchanges between our two countries.


6. The ITEC consists of ten technical sub-committees led by relevant line function department as follows;
   • Trade, investment and banking;
   • Mineral resources;
   • Energy;
   • Transport;
   • Science and Technology;
   • Water Resources;
   • Agriculture;
   • Forestry and Fisheries;
   • Education; and
   • South Africa-Russia Business Council


7. Following the last South Africa – Russia Inter-governmental Committee on Trade and Economic Co-operation (ITEC) co-chaired by Minister Sisulu in Moscow in November 2018, the two sides agreed on a need to also have political consultations as the ITEC is mainly focussed on Trade and Economic Relations between the two countries. In this regard, the first Senior Officials Political Consultations were held in May 2019 and created an opportunity for deeper discussions on issues of interest to both countries.


8. Linkages between South African Provinces and Russian Regions play a pivotal role in the strengthening of relations between the two countries. The Embassy, therefore, working in partnership with DIRCO and Provinces, have identified the establishment of strategic partnerships between South African Provinces and Russian Regions as a key priority and a vehicle for concrete cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, the following Provincial/ Regional partnerships have been / are being established:
   • Mpumalanga Province / Sverdlovsk Region and Kaluga Region;
   • Limpopo Province / The Republic of Bashkortostan;
   • Free State Province / Ryazan Region and Moscow Region;
   • Gauteng Province / Kazan Republic
   • Kwa-Zulu Natal / St Petersburg, Leningrad Region and Sochi City
   • City of Cape Town and St Petersburg