Seychellois President, Patrick Herminie has signalled a strong interest in expanding cooperation with South Africa, particularly in eco‑tourism and sustainable development following high‑level talks with Pretoria’s High Commissioner, Hlamalani Manzini at State House.
According to Herminie’s office, the meeting is part of the president’s broader diplomatic push to deepen Seychelles’ partnerships across the continent and builds on more than three decades of bilateral engagement between the two countries.
“The engagement formed part of Seychelles’ broader efforts to strengthen bilateral partnerships across the African continent and underscored the government’s intent to deepen cooperation with South Africa in priority sectors of mutual interest,” State House said in a statement.
South Africa has long been one of Seychelles’ key economic and tourism partners, with South African investors active in the islands’ hospitality and property sectors and thousands of South African visitors travelling to Seychelles annually.
State House said the discussions reaffirmed the “longstanding partnership” between the two nations, rooted in shared regional priorities and cooperation in multilateral forums.
Talks covered trade, investment, public health, and joint efforts to address social challenges such as drug abuse and child protection.
Both sides noted steady growth in bilateral trade and expressed interest in further diversifying economic exchanges.
New Opportunities
Herminie highlighted new opportunities for collaboration in eco‑tourism and sustainable development, especially on Seychelles’ smaller islands where environmental protection remains central to national policy.
Public health cooperation also featured prominently, with the president emphasising the value of sharing technical expertise and strengthening health systems in both countries.
The two delegations additionally discussed the role of small and medium‑sized enterprises in driving inclusive growth, with consideration given to organising business missions to facilitate exchanges between entrepreneurs in the two countries.
AP/Oyenike Oyeniyi