Egypt and South Africa have agreed to form a bilateral business council, a step toward putting private-sector cooperation on an institutional footing and strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries. The agreement emerged from talks between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, held in New Alamein on the sidelines of the eighth African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, according to the Egyptian presidency.
For businesses and operators watching whether political goodwill translates into working channels, the council is the concrete deliverable of the meeting. Its practical shape, however, remains undefined. The presidency’s statement did not specify when the body would begin operating or which sectors it would prioritise, and no new trade or investment agreements were announced alongside it.
Al-Sisi framed the council within a broader push to activate existing cooperation frameworks with South Africa. Cairo, he said, wants to broaden ties across the political, economic, trade, and investment sectors, while supporting African economic integration and development. Ramaphosa matched that intent, saying South Africa was keen to deepen cooperation and coordination with Egypt and citing shared positions on several African and international issues. He also invited Al-Sisi to make a state visit to South Africa, a step that could give the new council further political momentum.
Meanwhile, the leaders addressed regional and security questions that bear on the continent’s broader development agenda. They called for the peaceful settlement of conflicts and for stronger regional security and stability, arguing that such conditions would allow African countries to direct more resources towards sustainable development and improving living standards.
The Palestinian issue featured in the discussions as well. Al-Sisi praised South Africa’s position on the matter, while Ramaphosa noted that Pretoria’s stance drew in part on Egypt’s historic position on the issue.
Irregular migration was also on the agenda, with the two sides discussing the pressures it places on states. Here too, the presidency announced no new measures or initiatives, leaving the discussion at the level of shared concern rather than concrete action.
Taken together, the meeting produced one tangible institutional outcome, the business council, alongside a set of aligned positions on regional issues. Whether the council moves quickly from announcement to operation, and which sectors it takes up first, will determine whether it becomes a working mechanism for the private sectors of both countries or remains a statement of intent.