On October 24, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep and South African Minister of Agriculture John Henry Steenhuise met in Hanoi to advance agricultural trade cooperation and prepare for an MOU signing in November

Untapped potential in Viet Nam–South Africa agricultural cooperation

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep remarked that agricultural and environmental cooperation between Viet Nam and South Africa has yet to match its potential. Both countries have large markets and strong agricultural production capacity, yet bilateral trade in agricultural, forestry, and fishery products remains modest.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, bilateral agricultural trade has been increasing, from USD 98.6 million in 2023 to USD 106.3 million in 2024. Notably, in the first eight months of 2025, Vietnam recorded a strong trade surplus, with exports to South Africa up nearly 70% while imports declined by more than 40%. Vietnam’s main exports include coffee, cashew nuts, rice, pepper, wood and wood products, while its imports mainly consist of fruits, vegetables, and raw timber.

He emphasized that both countries serve as strategic trade gateways, Vietnam in ASEAN and South Africa in Africa. Their complementary geographical positions and differing harvest seasons provide favorable conditions for agricultural trade, investment, and value-added processing.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep highlighted the growing trade surplus between Viet Nam and South Africa in 2025, noting strong export growth in coffee, rice and wood products alongside reduced imports of raw timber and fruits

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep also encouraged businesses from both countries to strengthen connections and consider establishing agricultural processing facilities in South Africa to take advantage of the continent’s intra-regional trade benefits.

Toward early signing of the MOU

Minister John Henry Steenhuise expressed his pleasure at the forthcoming upgrade of bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership, describing it as a milestone that opens the door to deeper agricultural cooperation. He proposed that the two ministries sign an MOU to formalize a mechanism for regular dialogue and cooperation, creating a legal framework to promote two-way trade.

The Minister noted that South Africa has strong production of citrus fruits (oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, lemons), ostrich meat, beef, dairy products, and nuts and berries such as apples and blueberries. He expressed hope that Viet Nam would soon open its market to these products, while assuring that all exports meet quality and safety standards.

“With the signing of the MOU, we can create a new model of cooperation, a guiding beacon for open trade and agricultural partnership between our two countries,” Minister Steenhuise said.

In response, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep welcomed the proposal and noted that Vietnam is currently reviewing its existing MOUs, many of which have become outdated or yielded limited results. He suggested developing a new, consolidated MOU that reflects updated priorities, including principles of agricultural cooperation and business investment mechanisms.

Vietnam also requested that South Africa submit technical dossiers soon to facilitate market access for products such as apples, pears, blueberries, beef, and lamb. In return, Viet Nam asked South Africa to facilitate access for its exports, including coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, rice, dragon fruit, pomelo, and handcrafted wooden products.

Minister Steenhuise welcomed the move toward a Strategic Partnership and proposed an MOU to formalize dialogue; Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep responded by advocating a new, streamlined agreement to enhance market access for both countries

Both sides agreed that their agricultural sectors are highly complementary rather than competitive, offering opportunities for parallel development and mutual benefit. Minister Steenhuise expressed his hope that the two ministries would “work closely together to encourage business investment and develop a successful model of agricultural cooperation.”

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep assigned the Department of International Cooperation to work with the South African side in finalizing the technical documentation, reviewing the MOU content, and preparing for the signing ceremony scheduled for November. Minister John Henry Steenhuise emphasized that the signing of the MOU and the expansion of agricultural trade would serve as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries, setting an example of ASEAN–Africa partnership in agriculture.

Khanh Linh - Ngoc Huyen