South Africa and Nigeria need to redouble efforts to fast track trade and economic relations, Deputy President Baleka Mbete said on Tuesday.

"We will need to seriously consider in our meeting here a concrete and costed plan of action with deliverables, as this will give body and soul to the work of our BNC," she said in opening remarks at the Nigeria/South Africa bi-national Commission (BNC), welcoming Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and his delegation.

Next year South Africa and Nigeria would celebrate 10 years since the inaugural session of the BNC. However Mbete said the countries needed to show their successes to their people.

Jonathan said the meeting should not be a hollow ritual, and that the partnership needed to be taken seriously.

"If we have a relationship for 10 years... we must tell South
Africans and Nigerians what we are celebrating... how does it relate to the reduction of poverty among our people?"

The countries also needed to look at "low, ripe hanging fruit" that could be harvested.

Jonathan formally invited Mbete to visit Nigeria in March. This would be ahead of the celebration in October next year.