{"id":80244,"date":"2025-12-19T00:02:35","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T00:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/?p=80244"},"modified":"2025-12-19T03:11:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T03:11:50","slug":"old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japan and South Africa are celebrating 115 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone shaped by steady political and economic cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Shimizu Fumio<\/strong>, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of South Africa | \u00a9 Embassy of Japan<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ambassador Fumio Shimizu said the anniversary reflects \u201cmore than a century of friendship and shared progress,\u201d adding that the countries \u201cshare the values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shimizu noted that about 250 Japanese companies now operate in South Africa, with many viewing the country as a \u201cgateway to the entire African continent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Ambassador Shimizu\u2019s full message here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The business community sees the same upward trend. Simon Farrell, chair of the South African Chamber of Commerce in Japan, said Japan remains a major economic partner for South Africa, with \u201cmore than 250 Japanese companies\u201d active in the country and supporting more than 200,000 jobs. Farrell pointed to growth areas including critical minerals, green energy, electric vehicle technology and high-value agriculture, saying South Africa\u2019s resource base gives it \u201chuge potential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Simon Farrell<\/strong>, Chairman of the South African Chamber of Commerce in Japan (SACCJ) | \u00a9 SACCJ<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read Farrell\u2019s full interview here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innovation is also becoming a key driver of cooperation. Shintaro Matoba, executive director of JETRO Johannesburg, said the organization is \u201cbuilding bridges\u201d in fields such as green hydrogen, data science and creative industries. He highlighted JETRO\u2019s work with Comic Con Africa, which helps South African businesses access Japanese intellectual property and connect with new partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Matoba\u2019s full feature here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As cooperation expands, a growing number of sector-focused organizations are translating this long-standing relationship into practical partnerships on the ground, particularly in sustainability and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Shintaro Matoba<\/strong>, Executive Director of JETRO Johannesburg | \u00a9 JETRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Japan and South Africa are celebrating 115 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone shaped by steady political and economic cooperation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According to the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ), \u201cthe Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is Africa’s pioneering hub for green technology.\u201d Situated in Cape Town, South Africa, it \u201coffers a dynamic location for building as part of a thriving manufacturing cluster.\u201d The SEZ notes that it \u201ccapitalizes on the region’s booming green economy sectors (wind, solar, storage, waste, agri-tech, water and materials),\u201d with a focus on \u201ca world class, secure and sustainable infrastructure platform for manufacturing.\u201d It adds that the zone provides investors with \u201ca supportive ecosystem and a commitment to creating an inclusive, low-carbon, resource-efficient economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u00a9 Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"
Fhumulani Ratshitanga<\/strong>, Chief Executive Officer of Fruit South Africa (Fruit SA) | \u00a9 Fruit SA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Fruit South Africa also points to tangible progress in market access and trade engagement. The organization says it \u201cstrengthens the country\u2019s position as a leading exporter of high-quality fruit through active market engagement, international collaboration, and the consistent promotion of South African fruit abroad.\u201d In Japan, it notes that \u201cour partnership with the South African Embassy has been instrumental in deepening trade relations.\u201d Fruit South Africa adds: \u201cTogether, we host annual Fruit South Africa seminars to engage with Japanese importers, share insights on our export volumes and varieties, and communicate South Africa\u2019s dedication to supplying safe, premium fruit that aligns with Japanese consumer preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, these examples show how Japan\u2013South Africa relations are moving beyond diplomacy alone, with targeted initiatives in green manufacturing and agricultural trade helping to define the next chapter of a 115-year partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Japan and South Africa are celebrating 115 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone shaped by steady political and economic cooperation. Ambassador Fumio Shimizu said the anniversary reflects \u201cmore than a century of friendship and shared progress,\u201d adding that the countries \u201cshare the values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.\u201d Shimizu noted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":80246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[899,292,259,1021,293,283],"tags":[518],"class_list":{"0":"post-80244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-899","8":"category-articles","9":"category-bridging-japan","10":"category-editorial-south-africa","11":"category-editorial","12":"category-south-africa","13":"tag-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\nOld ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations - Bridges Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations - Bridges Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Japan and South Africa are celebrating 115 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone shaped by steady political and economic cooperation. Ambassador Fumio Shimizu said the anniversary reflects \u201cmore than a century of friendship and shared progress,\u201d adding that the countries \u201cshare the values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.\u201d Shimizu noted […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bridges Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/synergymediaspecialists\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-19T00:02:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-19T03:11:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bridges\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bridges\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/\",\"name\":\"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations - Bridges Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-19T00:02:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-19T03:11:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#\/schema\/person\/7eaae35415f3ab69a9001065f26f87dd\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":720},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/\",\"name\":\"Bridges Magazine\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#\/schema\/person\/7eaae35415f3ab69a9001065f26f87dd\",\"name\":\"Bridges\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5793c7d81e6afee763d0b29c1aaa7981d5bf57671c451fa22aab9ec057e36cc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5793c7d81e6afee763d0b29c1aaa7981d5bf57671c451fa22aab9ec057e36cc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Bridges\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/author\/kira\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations - Bridges Magazine","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations - Bridges Magazine","og_description":"Japan and South Africa are celebrating 115 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone shaped by steady political and economic cooperation. Ambassador Fumio Shimizu said the anniversary reflects \u201cmore than a century of friendship and shared progress,\u201d adding that the countries \u201cshare the values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.\u201d Shimizu noted […]","og_url":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/","og_site_name":"Bridges Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/synergymediaspecialists","article_published_time":"2025-12-19T00:02:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-19T03:11:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Bridges","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bridges","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/","url":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/","name":"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations - Bridges Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-19T00:02:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-19T03:11:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#\/schema\/person\/7eaae35415f3ab69a9001065f26f87dd"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI.jpg","width":1080,"height":720},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/old-ties-new-possibilities-in-japan-south-africa-relations\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Old ties, new possibilities in Japan-South Africa relations"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/","name":"Bridges Magazine","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#\/schema\/person\/7eaae35415f3ab69a9001065f26f87dd","name":"Bridges","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5793c7d81e6afee763d0b29c1aaa7981d5bf57671c451fa22aab9ec057e36cc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5793c7d81e6afee763d0b29c1aaa7981d5bf57671c451fa22aab9ec057e36cc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Bridges"},"url":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/author\/kira\/"}]}},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Bridges","author_link":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/author\/kira\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZA25-Lead-FI-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/year\/2025\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">2025<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/articles\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Articles<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/articles\/bridging-japan\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Bridging Japan<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/articles\/bridging-japan\/south-africa\/editorial-south-africa\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Editorial<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/industries\/editorial\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Editorial<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/articles\/bridging-japan\/south-africa\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">South Africa<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">2025<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Articles<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Bridging Japan<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Editorial<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Editorial<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">South Africa<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/category\/articles\/bridging-japan\/south-africa\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Editorial<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Editorial<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 4 months ago","modified":"Updated 4 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on December 19, 2025","modified":"Updated on December 19, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on December 19, 2025 12:02 am","modified":"Updated on December 19, 2025 3:11 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80244"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80327,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80244\/revisions\/80327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}