Relationship dossier
Bulgaria
South Africa
Relationship assessment
Historic Bulgarian support for the anti-apartheid movement complements post-apartheid bilateral agreements and government ties.
Bulgaria toward South Africa
+30During the apartheid era, Bulgaria supported the anti-apartheid movement, including the African National Congress. The two governments later established bilateral arrangements covering investment protection and taxation.
South Africa toward Bulgaria
+20South Africa has maintained bilateral government ties with Bulgaria and entered into agreements with it covering investment protection and taxation. The extent of additional recent cooperation is unclear.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines Bulgaria's historic support for South Africa's anti-apartheid movement with post-apartheid bilateral agreements and continuing government ties. Investment and tax arrangements provide a cooperative foundation, though the breadth and implementation of contemporary cooperation are uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bulgaria supported the anti-apartheid movement, including the African National Congress, during the apartheid era. Since South Africa's democratic transition, the two governments have maintained bilateral ties and concluded agreements on investment protection and taxation. These provide concrete foundations for cooperation, although the scope and intensity of more recent government engagement are unclear.
Key developments
Bulgaria supported the anti-apartheid movement, including the African National Congress.
Bulgaria and South Africa concluded bilateral agreements covering investment protection and taxation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral investment and tax agreements are unclear.
- Details of recent government-to-government cooperation are limited.