Belgian monarchs begin state visit to South Africa

The official welcoming ceremony took place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the monarchs' visit is about building bridges between Belgium and South Africa. 

"The state visit will serve to expand and strengthen bilateral relations between South Africa and Belgium and revitalise economic relations with a focus on trade, foreign direct investment, and tourism.

"Belgium has been playing a major role in supporting the African continent's health sector by donating COVID-19 vaccines and investing in medical research. More dialogues will be held between South Africa and Belgium in order to bring conflict to an end despite the painful past."

King Philippe said the goal of the visit is to strengthen relations with South Africa. 

"Through this visit we want to strengthen the collaboration between SA and Belgium and foster more dialogues between different sectors. Our companies are keen on investing more in your country."