King Charles III welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to London yesterday [Macau time] for the first state visit of his reign, which will include a formal banquet as well as talks with government leaders focused on investment and green energy.
Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, greeted Ramaphosa during a ceremony on Horse Guards Parade near Buckingham Palace. William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, also attended.
The visit was organized before the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a nod to her longtime devotion to the Commonwealth.
Ramaphosa addressed a joint session of the U.K. Parliament, urging U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to triple the number of South Africans studying in the U.K. to build business ties. He spoke in Parliament’s Royal Gallery, becoming the first South African president to address lawmakers since Mandela in 1996.
“There are few countries that have the depth of experience and knowledge of the South African economy than Britain,’’ he said. “British companies need to use this advantage to greater effect to seek out opportunities in our country for investment and trade.”
