InfoSAWIT, KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia and South Africa agreed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation with strategic steps to make South Africa a regional center for Malaysia's palm oil trade in Africa.
This agreement was reached in a meeting between Malaysia's Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and South Africa's Minister of Trade, Parks Tau, on Thursday (23/10), ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 26–28 October 2025.
In addition to palm oil, the meeting also discussed opportunities for Proton's market expansion in South Africa, as well as strengthening cooperation in the automotive and halal industries, two sectors with great potential to be developed across regions.
“We emphasize the importance of forward steps that position Malaysia as ASEAN's gateway to South Africa, and vice versa, South Africa as Malaysia's gateway to Africa,” said Tengku Zafrul through a post on the X platform.
According to him, the potential for strengthening trade and investment relations between the two countries is still very wide. “Insya-Allah, the commitment built today will be a trigger for more dynamic growth in the future,” he added optimistically as reported by InfoSAWIT, from Benama, Monday (26/10/2025).
This strategic step is part of Malaysia's vision to expand palm oil markets outside Asia, while strengthening economic diplomacy in the Global South region. South Africa is considered to have a strategic position as an entry point to the growing African market, especially for environmentally friendly vegetable energy products and palm derivatives.
This bilateral meeting took place ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability”. The forum was attended by more than 30 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
As host and ASEAN Chair this year, Malaysia is utilizing this momentum to affirm its strategic position as an intercontinental economic bridge, connecting Southeast Asia with Africa and Latin America through inclusive and sustainable trade collaborations. (T2)
