President William Ruto arrived in South Africa on Tuesday, June 3, landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base where he was received by Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes.
The official state reception took place on Wednesday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where he was formally welcomed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. During the ceremony, Ruto was accorded full state honours, including a 21-gun salute, a military tradition reserved for visiting heads of state. The salute is a formal mark of respect and signals the highest level of diplomatic recognition between two countries.
Details of Ruto’s South Africa state visit
He was accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto and a delegation of senior officials, including Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, and Gender Cabinet Secretary Beatrice Askul, among others.
The visit is centred on high-level talks between Nairobi and Pretoria, with discussions expected to focus on trade, investment, regional security and wider continental cooperation. Both governments are seeking to deepen ties between Africa’s two largest economies south of the Sahara, even as recent diplomatic frictions and shifting foreign policy alignments have complicated relations.
The engagements are also expected to reinforce cooperation on regional peace efforts and broader African diplomatic coordination, at a time when both countries continue to position themselves as influential voices on the continent.