????The cooperative relationship between Japan and South Africa came under the spotlight during a lecture by His Excellency Mr Shigeru Ushio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. The lecture was hosted by Stellenbosch 肆客足球's Japan Centre on 18 October 2024.
In his presentation entitled “Japanese Diplomacy towards South Africa, Mr Ushio, who has worked as a diplomat in Africa, Asia and Europe in areas such as development cooperation and global issues for almost 40 years, stressed that “foreign policy is an extension of its domestic policy".
“Japan is facing a unique strategic environment, economic situation and various challenges. There are many issues, including territorial disputes with neighbouring countries which pose a threat to the stability of Japan, the region and the world. While being an economic superpower, Japan's domestic market is shrinking due to a declining population and Japan needs to look more and more outward. Furthermore, as Japan is dependent on imports for resources that are directly linked to the nation's stability and prosperity, such as energy and food, it is thought that the need to diversify import sources and secure sea lanes will only increase in the future.
“Japan's peace, security and prosperity cannot be achieved without the stability and prosperity of countries and regions around the world, and stable relations with each country. Therefore, the most important issue for Japan is to build stable and prosperous relations with countries and the international community, and to establish good relations with these countries."
What is South Africa's position in this context?
According to Mr Ushio, South Africa is seen as an important partner, both economically and diplomatically, and in terms of its aims to secure peace, security and prosperity for Japan, and stability and prosperity for the world.
“South Africa's geographical location is extremely important for shipping routes and trade and its ports are important transit points for international trade. For Japan, where the domestic market is expected to shrink due to a declining population and aging society, it is an urgent issue to improve access to the African market, which has a large young population and is expected to grow."
“Japan exports transport machinery, mainly cars and parts, to South Africa, making it an especially important export partner on the African continent. In turn, Japan is South Africa's fourth largest market, and Japan imports platinum group metals, manganese, chromium, iron ore, coal, etc. from South Africa." These resources are essential for the electronics and automobile industries, as well as for energy supply.
“There are around 270 offices of Japanese companies in various sectors, including the automobile sector, in South Africa. This includes finished car manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan and Isuzu, which locally produce a total of over 200 000 cars. South Africa's geographical advantages have also made it a base for foreign companies, including Japanese companies, to expand their business into the African continent."
“In addition, as a major member of the African Union, South Africa plays an important role in regional security and political stability by actively engaging in conflict resolution and peacekeeping activities, backed by its diplomatic influence."
What kind of diplomacy is the Japanese government and Japanese embassy developing with South Africa?
Mr Ushio said Japan is making use of different activities to develop its diplomacy in South Africa, one of them being development cooperation.
He gave an example of a project involving development cooperation – Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) – that he was involved in. GGP was introduced in 1990 to support the development activities of NGOs, NPOs, local governments, public schools and medical facilities, among others.
“One GGP project we embarked on was the construction of a classroom block for Isipingo Hills Primary School in Durban after damage due to the flood and gusts. The Japanese government provided a grant of 56,551 US$ through GGP to the school for the construction of the classroom building. As a result, 80 preschool students were able to study in safe classrooms. It also became possible to accept new students who wished to enrol. In addition, the learning environment for all 940 students at the school was improved."
Other diplomacy activities include:
- Providing detailed information and services so that Japanese nationals and Japanese companies can work in South Africa with peace of mind;
- Disseminating a wide range of Japanese culture such as bonsai, ikebana and tea ceremony to pop culture; and
- Gathering information, including exchanging opinions on political and economic issues with the South African government and foreign diplomats based in South Africa on a daily basis.
Assertive diplomacy
“It is also a fact that South Africa is facing many problems such as the gap between the rich and the poor, high unemployment rates, deteriorating public safety and a decline in the ability to provide public services such as electricity, education and infrastructure," said Mr. Ushio. “In a country where many Japanese people live and Japanese companies have bases, we cannot ignore such an environment that hinders their lives and businesses. We therefore have an obligation to be frank in our communication and 'say what needs to be said'. In this way we can encourage the South African government to recognise the issues and take action towards a solution."
He concluded: “The cooperative relationship between Japan and South Africa is deepening in all aspects, especially in the economic field. As the Japanese government and the Japanese embassy, we will continue to work to improve Japan-South Africa relations, while supporting decision-making that is in line with Japan's national interests."
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