Maiden South Africa Week Set to Hold in Lagos

To mark a major diplomatic milestone, the Consulate General of the Republic of South Africa in Lagos is set to host the first ever South Africa Week Celebrations in Nigeria. The week-long celebrations will take place from Saturday 22 April to Saturday 29 April 2023.

According to an official statement signed by the Deputy Consul-General of South African Consulate Lagos, Ms Sebo Lenyai, the celebrations are to commemorate the 29th Anniversary of South Africa’s democracy and 29 years of formal diplomatic relations between South Africa and Nigeria.

The key objectives of the South Africa Week include celebrating 29 years of freedom and democracy, deepening bilateral relations through trade and investment, creating social cohesion through a tapestry of arts and culture.

The event also seeks to position South Africa as a preferred destination for tourism, education and business as well as elaborate the diversity of the rainbow nation in Nigeria.

To celebrate the maiden South Africa Week, several exciting programs and activities have been lined up, including social and entertainment events, sports tournaments, business meetings, and investment roundtable.

South Africa Week will officially kick off on Saturday, 22 April 2023 with "Mzansi Imbiso". The inaugural event will promote and position South Africa as the preferred tourist destination as well as engage and network with stakeholders in various sectors, public and private sector, and friends of the Consulate.

Sunday, 23 April 2023 will be for South African and Nigerian Movie and Comedy Night. The event is designed to promote social cohesion between South Africans and Nigerians through arts and culture in the visual arts by showcasing film productions such as documentaries and short-films by South African and Nigerian producers and film makers, as well as to display the creative arts through humour with comedy.

South Africa-Nigeria Trade and Investment Roundtable will hold on Tuesday, 25 April 2023. This will promote and position South Africa as a preferred trade and investment country that is open to business by creating and providing a platform between South African and Nigerian Business Community to exchange views, experiences and sharing of information on matters of common interest and mutual benefit between both countries.

The South Africa-Nigeria Trade and Investment Roundtable will also be an opportunity for both countries to explore and expand on opportunities for trade and investment. It will also help to build a good and mutually beneficial relationship between the South African and Nigerian Business Community.

Other programs lined up for the week include Freedom Day Celebration which will come up on Friday, 28 April 2023 to commemorate the 29th Anniversary of South Africa’s democracy and 29 years of formal diplomatic relations between South Africa and Nigeria.

The event will come to an end on Saturday, 29 April 2023 with SACG Golf Tournament aimed at promoting social cohesion and common interests between South Africans and Nigerians through sports. Sports has been one of the key factors that have brought both countries together and has been able to further strengthen relations.

Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa were formally established in 1994. And with that, the countries' respective high commissions were established in Abuja in 1995 and in Tshwane in 1996, opening up bilateral relations between both countries.