South African defence acquisitions (and disposals and research and development agency) Armscor reported on Wednesday that it recently led a South African defence industry delegation to Japan, for the inaugural bilateral Defence Industry Seminar. This was held at the South African Ambassador’s residence in Tokyo, and was the result of discussions held during the Defence and Security Equipment International Japan 2025 exhibition, in May.

“This seminar comes at a time when global conflicts and geopolitical tensions are on the rise, threatening the stability of nations and regions,” pointed out Armscor Investment and Deal-Making Committee chairperson Zane Cleophas. “Such a context calls for robust partnerships and trusted allies to foster collaboration and resilience. At Armscor, we believe that dialogue and cooperation remain the most effective tools to address shared challenges and to advance global security.”

The purpose of the seminar, which was held “recently”, was to ascertain and investigate potential areas in which the defence industries of the two countries could collaborate. The participants all agreed that it was very important that a formal Defence Cooperation Agreement be developed between South Africa and Japan. This would provide the basis on which a cooperative framework could be developed, which would include the outlining of terms, responsibilities, roles, and spheres of cooperation.

The seminar showed that there was strong interest on both sides to develop partnerships that were mutually beneficial. It was agreed to hold a virtual seminar as a follow-up, to maintain the momentum generated by the Tokyo seminar, to involve a greater number of companies and to identify areas allowing for synergistic collaboration.

The South African delegation included representatives of the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD) and South African defence companies Global Command & Control Technologies (better known as GC2T) and Paramount. The Japanese delegation was coordinated by the Japan Defence Equipment Industries Association (JADI) and the country’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency.

Armscor has also assured that it will strengthen communication channels between AMD and JADI. This is part of its wider strategy to position itself as a gateway to Africa.

“We encourage our Japanese defence industry counterparts to leverage the long-standing bilateral relations between our countries and consider investing in South Africa as a strategic gateway to the African continent,” affirmed Cleophas. “The ties between Japan and South Africa span more than a century. Now is the time to harness our unique strengths and co-create defence solutions that address the security needs for today and tomorrow.”