Mogobo David Magabe, South Africa’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, hosted a Freedom Day celebration on Thursday in Riyadh’s Cultural Palace.
Freedom Day is celebrated annually on April 27 in South Africa to commemorate its first democratic election on that day in 1994, an event that signaled the end of official racial segregation in the country. The embassy in Riyadh decided to hold the 30th anniversary celebrations after Ramadan.
“This is a very important day because of the relationship that South Africa shares with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in several areas,” Magabe told Arab News. “Since 1994, our diplomatic ties, which this year turn 30, have grown substantially.
“Saudi Arabia is a regional power that is presenting itself as a gateway into the market and GCC countries,” the ambassador continued. “South Africa is also a gateway into the continent of Africa and the two friendly nations play a very important role.”
Magabe highlighted numerous visits made by South Africa’s leaders to the Kingdom, including President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit in October 2022, when he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
During that visit, the two sides signed multiple Memorandums of Understanding, to a value exceeding $15 billion, and also agreed to explore areas of joint cooperation in the fields of energy, petroleum and petrochemicals, and electricity and renewable energy such as solar and wind.
At the celebrations on Thursday, Magabe gave a speech highlighting the historical ties between the two countries and areas of cooperation including trade, investment, and tourism. Mayor of the Riyadh Region, Prince Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, was the guest of honor.
Following Magabe’s opening remarks and the cutting of the cake — performed by the ambassador and the mayor of Riyadh — guests had the opportunity to sample multiple products and dishes from South Africa.