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Vice-Minister for International Affairs Matsuo Visits Republic of South Africa

Japanese

February 13, 2026

Energy and Environment Policy

From Monday, February 9, to Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Mr. Matsuo Takehiko, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, visited the Republic of South Africa. In South Africa, he attended Mining Indaba 2026 and delivered a keynote speech aimed at promoting cooperation in the mining sector between Japan and African countries. In addition, he held bilateral meetings with government stakeholders of participating countries.

1. Participating in Mining Indaba 2026

Vice-Minister for International Affairs Matsuo participated in Mining Indaba 2026 held in Cape Town, South Africa. Mining Indaba is the world's largest exhibition and conference in the mining sector and brings together not only ministerial-level officials from African countries but also government stakeholders, investors, and representatives of resource-related companies from around the world. During the conference, he worked to further strengthen ties between Japan and African countries in the mining sector. Details of the conference are provided in Items 2 and 3 below.

Note: Indaba is a Zulu word meaning a meeting to discuss important issues.

2. Outline of the keynote speech at the JOGMEC session

During his keynote speech, Vice-Minister for International Affairs Matsuo stated that the Government of Japan could extend financial support through JOGMEC to secure new supply sources for copper, rare earth and other critical minerals and could greatly contribute to the establishment of a stable supply chain for the minerals on a global scale through the launch of government-funded projects. He also emphasized the significance of cooperation between Japan and African countries for the promotion of development through public and private efforts. Moreover, he said that Japan would further foster co-creation for economy and business between itself and Africa through the Japan-Africa Public-Private Economic Forum, Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and other opportunities.

photo1
Keynote speech

3. Meetings with government stakeholders

Taking advantage of the opportunity of Mining Indaba 2026, Vice-Minister for International Affairs Matsuo exchanged views with participating government stakeholders, including five ministerial-level officials, on bilateral cooperation, improvement of the business environment and the possibility of collaboration among like-minded countries in the critical minerals sector.

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H.E. Mr. Louis Watum Kabamba, Minister of Mines, Democratic Republic of the Congo
photo3
H.E. Mr. Valentino Valentini, Deputy Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Italian Republic
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H.E. Ms. Gaudentia Krohne, Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Republic of Namibia
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H.E. Mr. Benjamin Gallezot, Interministerial Delegate for Ores & Metals Supplies, Office of the Prime Minister, French Republic
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Alistair Ruiters, Special Advisor to the President, Republic of South Africa

Division in Charge

Mineral Resources Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau