This article covers India's training and capacity-building programmes for South Africa, the skills centre set up with Indian help, defence cooperation, the cheetah translocation project, and cooperation in science and technology, information and communications technology, energy and disaster risk reduction. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of April 2026.

Training under ITEC

The brief describes India's Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) as "a useful medium of promoting cooperation in development of human resources". According to the MEA brief of April 2026, South Africa had utilised 38 out of 50 ITEC slots in FY 2025-26.

A fully funded, specialised two-week ITEC Media Training Programme on Journalism and Public Relations was organised in Hyderabad and Delhi from 26 February to 9 March 2024 for 30 South African professionals. Seven participants from South Africa attended the Special Training Programme For Yoga Trainers from 5 to 31 January 2026, organised by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru.

Skill development

The brief notes that the shortage of skills among South Africans is a national priority of the Government of South Africa. To help address it, an MoU on setting up the "Gandhi-Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisan Skills" (GMCoS) in South Africa was signed during the Prime Minister's visit in July 2018.

With the collaboration of Hindustan Machine Tools Limited (HMTL), the Centre offers technical expertise, training material, machines and equipment, and interactive ICT equipment for video conferencing. Training covers four skills for which the brief says there is demand in South Africa: mechanical fitter, electrician, boilermaker and millwright.

The soft launch of the Centre took place in Pretoria on 8 October 2018 in the presence of the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr. Naledi Pandor. It was officially launched in Pretoria on 28 October 2021 in the presence of Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mr. Buti Manamela and High Commissioner Mr. Jaideep Sarkar. The South African side has since requested a second centre at Majuba TVET college in KwaZulu Natal.

A 3-member delegation led by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, took part in the 'Outcomes Finance Alliance Summit 2026' in Cape Town from 25 to 27 March 2026.

Defence cooperation

Defence cooperation began formally in 1996 with an MoU on "Cooperation in the field of Defence Equipment", which was revised by an MoU on "Defence Cooperation" in 2000. An India-South Africa Joint Defence Committee (JDC), co-chaired by the Defence Secretaries of both countries, was then set up.

The 9th JDC meeting was held in Johannesburg on 23 and 24 June 2025. Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh led a 9-member Indian delegation, and the South African delegation was headed by Acting Secretary for Defence Dr. Thobekile Gamede. Two sub-committees, on Defence Policy and Military Cooperation and on Defence Acquisition, Production, Research and Development, reported to the JDC. The brief states that the next JDC will be held in India in 2026.

An MoU on Submarine Rescue Cooperation and Coordination was signed and exchanged in August 2024 between Admiral DK Tripathi, Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy, and Admiral Monde Lobese of the South African Navy, with the assurance of rescue support from the Indian Navy in an emergency. Under the MoU, the two navies signed a contract on 24 June 2025 enabling Submarine Rescue Hatch Certification for the South African Type 209 Submarines.

The two countries regularly exchange senior military delegations. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff, visited South Africa from 5 to 10 May 2024 at the invitation of the Chief of the South African Air Force. South African Chief of Army Lt. Gen. L.K. Mbatha visited in August 2022, and South African Air Force Chief Lt Gen Wiseman Mbambo in November 2021.

South African defence delegations have attended Indian defence exhibitions. A 5-member delegation led by Mr. Bantu Holomisa, Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, visited India for Aero India 2025 from 10 to 14 February 2025. Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Ms. Thandi Ruth Modise led a delegation to India from 18 to 22 October 2022 for DefExpo 2022 at Gandhinagar, and also attended the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and the Indian Ocean Region Defence Ministers' Conclave.

In the other direction, eight defence Public Sector Undertakings and two private Indian companies took part in the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo in Pretoria from 18 to 22 September 2024. The brief names Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., Indian Optel Ltd., Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd., Bharat Dynamics Ltd., Goa Shipyard Ltd., Bharat Electronics Ltd., HAL, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and SMPP. The maiden India-South Africa Defence Industry Webinar was held on 20 September 2020, and the South African Navy has deployed Liaison Officers at the Information Fusion Center - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) of the Indian Navy from April 2022 onwards.

Indian Naval Ships regularly make port calls in South Africa. Recent visits recorded in the brief are:

  • INSV Tarini, Cape Town, 31 March to 15 April 2025, for the final leg of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II Expedition.
  • INS Tushil, Port Durban, 29 January to 1 February 2025, during its maiden voyage to India.
  • INS Talwar, Cape Town, 7 to 18 October 2024, for the 8th edition of the India, Brazil and South Africa Maritime Exercise (IBSAMAR).
  • INS Trishul, Durban, 6 to 10 June 2023, in the 30th year of diplomatic ties.
  • INS Sunayna, Durban, 21 to 25 August 2023, to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the Pietermaritzburg Railway Station incident, which the brief calls the birth of Satyagraha.

The South African Navy frigate SAS Amatola took part in IFR26 and MILAN 26 at Visakhapatnam from 17 to 25 February 2026, with the Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, leading the delegation. The South African Navy also took part in the MILAN exercises in India from 18 to 27 February 2024 and in February and March 2022, and its teams took part in the Admiral's Cup Regatta in 2019.

Cheetah translocation project

An MoU on Cooperation in the Reintroduction of Cheetah in India was signed between the two countries on 17 January 2023. Among other things, it facilitates cooperation to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India. A first batch of 12 cheetahs, 7 males and 5 females, was translocated from South Africa to India on 18 February 2023.

A four-member Indian delegation headed by Mr. Sanjayan Kumar, Inspector General (NTCA), and Mr. L. Krishnamoorthy of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department visited South Africa from 9 to 11 June 2025. The Indian side reiterated its request for a second batch of cheetahs, and both sides agreed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Joint Working Group provided for in the MoU.

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav led a delegation to the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Ministerial Meeting at the International Convention Centre, Cape Town, on 16 and 17 October 2025. On its sidelines, the brief records, he held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Dion George, South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. A 5-member South African delegation visited India from 1 to 9 November 2025 for an appraisal of Project Cheetah.

Science and technology

India and South Africa signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Science and Technology on 19 July 1995. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, led a delegation of officials and scientists to events in Cape Town and Durban from 4 to 6 October 2017 marking the 20th anniversary of this cooperation. The Agreement was renewed for a further three years during that visit.

The 13th Joint Committee Meeting on S&T & Innovation Cooperation was held at the Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi, on 12 July 2023. The 14th was held in Pretoria on 28 and 29 July 2025, with a two-member Indian delegation led by Dr. Praveen Somasundram, Head: International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology. The delegation also visited the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and the SA-CSIR Nanotechnology centre in Pretoria.

Information and communications technology

The 2nd India-South Africa Joint Working Group Meeting on Information, Communications and Technology was held in Pretoria on 27 and 28 March 2025. It was co-chaired by Mr. Alfred Mashishi, Deputy Director General, Department of Communications & Digital Technologies of South Africa, and Mr. Sanket S Bhondve, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology of India.

A 25-member South African delegation led by the Director General of the Department of Communications & Digital Technology visited New Delhi and Bengaluru from 1 to 7 December 2024 to learn about India's work in Digital Public Infrastructure, digital payment platforms and IT, and to explore collaboration. Earlier, on 14 October 2024, Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia met South African Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mr Solomon Malatsi in New Delhi, on the sidelines of the 5th Global Standards Symposium.

The High Commission of India in Pretoria arranged a virtual telecast of the International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria on 22 September 2023. It was attended by representatives of South Africa's Departments of Labour & Employment and Communications & Digital Technologies and of financial institutions, namely SBI, EXIM Bank and Dentons.

Energy and disaster risk reduction

Minister for Power and Housing Shri Manohar Lal led a delegation to the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting (ETMM) in KwaZulu Natal on 9 and 10 October 2025. Dr P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, led a delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group at Somerset West, Cape Town, on 13 October 2025.