Relationship dossier
India
South Africa
Relationship assessment
A sustained strategic partnership grounded in anti-apartheid solidarity and reinforced by bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
India toward South Africa
+55India supported the struggle against apartheid and later established a strategic partnership with South Africa through the 1997 Red Fort Declaration. The two governments subsequently deepened cooperation through the 2006 Tshwane Declaration and joint engagement in forums including IBSA and BRICS.
South Africa toward India
+55South Africa joined India in formalizing a strategic partnership through the 1997 Red Fort Declaration and further cooperation through the 2006 Tshwane Declaration. South African policy has also engaged India through joint diplomatic work in IBSA and BRICS.
Overall relationship
+55The relationship combines enduring political solidarity with formal strategic partnership arrangements and continuing cooperation in multilateral forums. These features support a substantially cooperative overall relationship, though the breadth and implementation of current bilateral cooperation are not fully clear.
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
India and South Africa maintain a sustained strategic partnership rooted in India’s support for the anti-apartheid struggle and reinforced by bilateral cooperation. The 1997 Red Fort Declaration established a strategic partnership, followed by the 2006 Tshwane Declaration. The two governments have also cooperated through IBSA and BRICS, including on diplomatic and development issues.
Key developments
The Red Fort Declaration established a strategic partnership between India and South Africa.
The Tshwane Declaration advanced the bilateral strategic partnership.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation across sectors are unclear.
- The extent and continuity of recent bilateral initiatives are uncertain.