Relationship dossier
South Africa
Zambia
Relationship assessment
Historical solidarity against apartheid and sustained post-apartheid cooperation
South Africa toward Zambia
+40Post-apartheid South African governments have pursued bilateral cooperation with Zambia through government-to-government mechanisms and agreements. During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2023 state visit, the two governments concluded bilateral agreements covering areas of cooperation.
Zambia toward South Africa
+40Zambia supported the anti-apartheid struggle and provided a base for the African National Congress during apartheid. In the post-apartheid period, Zambian governments have pursued bilateral cooperation with South Africa, including concluding agreements during President Ramaphosa’s 2023 state visit.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship combines a consequential history of Zambian support for South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement with sustained cooperation between the two governments after apartheid. Bilateral mechanisms and agreements support ongoing engagement, while the earlier conflict with the apartheid government remains an important historical contrast.
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
South Africa and Zambia have a cooperative relationship shaped by Zambia’s support for the anti-apartheid struggle and sustained post-apartheid bilateral engagement. The governments have used bilateral mechanisms and agreements to advance cooperation, including agreements concluded during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2023 state visit to Zambia. The historical record includes sharp political differences with apartheid-era South Africa, but relations between the two governments have since been substantially cooperative.
Key developments
Zambia supported the anti-apartheid struggle and provided a base for the African National Congress.
During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit to Zambia, the governments concluded bilateral agreements to strengthen cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and practical outcomes of agreements concluded during recent bilateral visits are unclear.
- The current scope and activity of bilateral cooperation mechanisms are uncertain.