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• Envoy recalls Nigeria’s role in ending apartheid, birthing democratic South Africa

•As Tourism, Nollywood, Music, Film remain bridges between two African powers

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

South Africa has reaffirmed its enduring ties with Nigeria, declaring that the two countries must continue to draw strength from their shared history, culture and African identity despite challenges that have occasionally strained relations between their peoples.

The Deputy High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Ambassador Lindy Mminele, stated this in Abuja at the 2026 Heritage Day celebration hosted by the South African High Commission, where she said her country had chosen unity and Ubuntu as guiding principles for its relationship with Nigeria and the wider African continent.

Mminele told diplomats, government officials, tourism stakeholders and South Africans resident in Nigeria that the philosophy of Ubuntu — broadly expressed in the belief that “I am because you are” — remained central to South Africa’s national identity and its relations with other African countries.

“Therefore, we choose unity. We choose Ubuntu. We choose the ties that bind us together,” she said.

The celebration, held under the theme “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us,” provided the envoy an opportunity to highlight the historical, cultural and people-to-people connections between Nigeria and South Africa.

Mminele recalled that Nigeria’s support for the struggle against apartheid predated the emergence of democratic South Africa, describing the relationship between the two countries as one rooted in a shared history of the continent.

“South Africa’s bilateral relations with Nigeria predate our democracy,” she said, adding that the contribution of Nigeria, other African countries and international friends of South Africa ultimately helped in the emergence of the democratic South Africa of today.

Her comments underscored the longstanding role played by Nigeria in opposing apartheid and supporting the liberation struggle in Southern Africa through diplomatic, political and material assistance.

Mminele said the relationship had since evolved beyond political solidarity to encompass culture, entertainment, tourism and extensive people-to-people exchanges.

She particularly identified Nollywood, Afrobeats, Amapiano, music and film as powerful contemporary bridges between Nigerians and South Africans.

According to her, Nigerian films are widely appreciated in South Africa, while cultural institutions in both countries continue to collaborate under a Memorandum of Understanding on cultural cooperation.

She said South Africa participates in Nigeria’s Zuma International Film Festival, while Nigerian filmmakers participate in South African festivals, including those held in Durban.

Describing the relationship between the cultural institutions as “tight and ongoing,” the envoy said the creative industries had become an important channel for strengthening relations between the two countries.

She also described Nigeria’s cultural heritage as a vibrant mosaic comprising more than 250 ethnic groups, noting that Nollywood and Afrobeats had helped project Nigerian stories and cultural expressions to audiences across the world.

The cultural exchange, she noted, was particularly visible among young people, with Nigerian Afrobeats enjoying popularity in South Africa while South Africa’s Amapiano has gained a substantial following in Nigeria.

Artists from both countries have also increasingly collaborated, creating a shared entertainment space that cuts across national boundaries.

On tourism, Mminele urged Nigerians to explore South Africa’s diverse attractions, including Table Mountain, the Garden Route and Kruger National Park, as well as the country’s beaches, cultural sites, cities and wine regions.

She said South Africa also offered adventure activities ranging from hiking and surfing to safaris and shark cage diving.

“So our offerings of Mpumalanga or any other province of South Africa for tourism are open for business,” she said.

The envoy encouraged diplomats and their families serving in Nigeria to visit South Africa before completing their tours of duty, saying South African Tourism was ready to welcome them.

She commended South African Tourism for supporting the annual Heritage Day celebration and acknowledged its representative, Thekiso Rakolojoane, and his team.

She also recognised Nigerian tourism and cultural partners, including the Department of Culture and Tourism, the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) and the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), describing them as important enablers of people-to-people cooperation.

Welcoming guests to “Ekhaya”, meaning home, Mminele described the High Commission as South Africa’s “home away from home” and thanked the Nigerian government for hosting her country.

She said the celebration was also an opportunity to reflect on South Africa’s long and difficult journey towards democracy and the importance of preserving the country’s diverse heritage.

Recalling former President Nelson Mandela’s 2002 Heritage Day address, she said the occasion remained important to nation-building and the consolidation of a national identity founded on “unity within diversity.”

She also cited President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent Heritage Day message, which celebrated South Africa’s languages, music, food, clothing, stories and customs as expressions of the country’s living heritage.

The envoy’s emphasis on unity and African solidarity came against the backdrop of recent tensions surrounding the treatment of Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa, including reported attacks and deaths involving Nigerian nationals.

Nigerian authorities have repeatedly raised concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, while the South African government has maintained that it opposes xenophobia, racism and discrimination.

Against that backdrop, Mminele stressed that South Africa’s identity could not be separated from its African roots.

“South Africa is not just a country in Africa but an African country,” she said, stressing that the country’s past, present and future remained connected to the wider continent.

She said South Africa would continue to strengthen the ties that promote national unity, its relations with the wider international community and, most importantly, its bonds with Africa.

Mminele concluded her remarks by drawing from former President Thabo Mbeki’s celebrated 1996 “I Am an African” speech.

“I am an African. I recognise myself in you. You recognise yourself in me,” she said.

The celebration ended with Nigerian and South African cuisine, music and cultural interaction, with Afrobeats and Amapiano providing the soundtrack as Nigerians and South Africans gathered to celebrate their shared African heritage and the historical ties between the two countries.