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His Excellency Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Tuesday, 23 January 2024 receive a courtesy call from His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the OR Tambo Official Residence in Pretoria. 

The Duke of Edinburgh is on a working visit to South Africa from 22-24 January 2024. 

The visit follows the successful state visit  that His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook to the United Kingdom in 2022 at the invitation of King Charles III. 

The visit is also indicative of the strong bilateral relationship that the United Kingdom and South Africa share.

During his visit, the Duke will meet stakeholders from WWF South Africa, Endangered Wildlife Trust, GreenMatterZA, TRAFFIC, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Birdlife, and Conservation South Africa. 

Prince Edward will also meet the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy, for a tour of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden and will be accompanied on the tour by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) CEO, Mr Shonisani Munzhedi. 

This follows President Ramaphosa’s visit to the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, in November 2022 and will mark the long-term collaboration between Kew and SANBI to ensure the survival of South Africa’s rich plant diversity. 

The Duke will also meet the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande at a dinner marking the deep partnership between South Africa and the United Kingdom in the field of Science and Innovation.

In addition, the Duke of Edinburgh will meet awardees of the President’s Awards, the international arm of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, of which President Ramaphosa is a Patron. Both countries share a strong commitment to youth development and empowerment.

During the courtesy call, Deputy President Mashatile will also hold discussions with the Duke and his delegation on key areas of importance in the bilateral relationship between South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Issued by Government Communications