The British High Commission in Pretoria has welcomed the news
that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will pay a State
Visit to the United Kingdom to meet The King and The Queen
Consort.
This is the first invitation of a State Visit made by His Majesty
King Charles III.
British High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson
said:
I am delighted that President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by Dr
Tshepo Motsepe, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty King
Charles III to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from
Tuesday, 22 November to Thursday, 24 November 2022. The King and
The Queen Consort will host the State Visit at Buckingham Palace.
This will be the first State Visit hosted by His Majesty. It
reflects the importance of the relationship between South
Africa and the United Kingdom. The visit will offer a chance to
celebrate our modern-day partnerships delivering prosperity and
security for both countries, as well as to set out how we can
work together bilaterally and globally to strengthen those links
for the future.
Over the next few weeks the British High Commission will work
closely with the Presidency, the Department for
International Relations and Cooperation, and the South African
government to finalise the details of the President’s State
Visit.
His Majesty The King has visited South Africa on a number of
occasions. His Majesty’s first visit was to Pretoria,
Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town from 31 October to 5 November
1997. The King and The Queen Consort also visited Pretoria and
Johannesburg from 2 to 6 November 2011. The King and Queen
Consort also attended the funeral of President Nelson Mandela on
15 December 2013.
Her Late Majesty The Queen invited President Nelson Mandela to
pay a State Visit to the UK in July 1996. She also invited
President Thabo Mbeki to pay a State Visit to the UK in June
2001, and President Jacob Zuma to pay a State Visit to the UK in
March 2010.
The press release from Buckingham Palace announcing the State
Visit can be found here: Announcement of the State
Visit by the President of South Africa(PDF, 156 KB, 2
pages).
Further details of the State Visit programme will be announced in
due course.
