Migration diplomacy drive unveiled

President Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed plans to deploy envoys across Africa and beyond to engage governments on migration after raising the issue directly with Kenyan President William Ruto during a state visit. The visit highlighted the tension increasingly shaping South Africa’s relations with the continent. The disclosure came during a visit intended to showcase closer economic ties between two of Africa’s most influential economies. “We also addressed the issue of migration facing South Africa, which is not unique to us but an issue faced by many countries,” Ramaphosa said after bilateral talks at the Union Buildings. “I expressed to President Ruto that South Africans are not xenophobic.” Pressed later on whether Pretoria was considering a more formal diplomatic intervention, Ramaphosa revealed that South Africa would engage governments across the continent on migration. “There will be envoys going to African countries and around the world to address this migration issue we are facing.” The comments amounted to a rare public acknowledgement that migration has become a diplomatic issue as well as a domestic one. For years, South Africa has positioned itself as a champion of African integration, freer movement and continental cooperation. Yet concerns about illegal migration, recurring outbreaks of anti-foreigner sentiment and growing unease among some African governments have exposed a widening gap between the ideals of integration and political realities. Throughout the day, Ramaphosa and Ruto championed deeper economic integration, easier movement of people, stronger regional value chains and greater cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Yet migration repeatedly surfaced during discussions and questions from journalists. International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola sought to draw a distinction between illegal migration and xenophobia. “South Africans are welcoming and peace-loving people who want to work with everyone on the continent,” Lamola said. “The challenge we are dealing with is illegal migration.” The prominence of the issue was striking because the visit itself was designed to elevate relations between South Africa and Kenya into a more strategic partnership. The two presidents witnessed the signing of six memoranda of understanding covering trade facilitation, maritime cooperation, technical and vocational education, gender equality, arts and culture, and sport. But neither leader devoted much time to the agreements themselves. Instead, they focused on trade, investment, industrialisation and the barriers that continue to fragment African markets. The emphasis reflected the growing strategic importance of a relationship that increasingly links Africa’s most industrialised economy with one of its most dynamic commercial hubs. Kenya is South Africa’s largest trading partner in East Africa and one of the continent’s most important destinations for South African investment. South African banks, retailers, telecommunications companies and financial institutions have expanded steadily into the Kenyan market, while Nairobi increasingly serves as a gateway to East Africa. The relationship is becoming more important at a time when both countries are searching for new sources of growth in a volatile global economy and attempting to position themselves at the centre of Africa’s integration agenda. Yet both governments acknowledged that significant obstacles remain. Ramaphosa repeatedly referred to the need for a “more balanced and mutually beneficial economic partnership” built on investment, industrial cooperation, technology transfer and manufacturing. Ruto was more direct. “We acknowledge that real obstacles still remain, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, limited market access and regulatory constraints,” he said. We therefore directed our trade ministers to dismantle these barriers.” It was one of the most consequential statements of the day. For all the rhetoric surrounding AfCFTA, both presidents effectively acknowledged that closer economic integration remains incomplete. Tariff barriers remain in place. Regulatory hurdles persist. Market access remains uneven. The challenge facing both governments is no longer persuading Africans that integration is desirable. It is making it work. Trade between the two countries is growing. Ruto said bilateral trade increased from $590 million in 2024 to $650 million in 2025. “This momentum must not only be sustained but must also be accelerated,” he said. Both leaders repeatedly described their countries as complementary rather than competing economies. Ramaphosa characterised Kenya as a gateway to East Africa. Ruto spoke of the “natural complementarity” between the two economies. The issue of mobility resurfaced repeatedly during the briefing. While migration emerged as a source of political tension, both governments arg