Canada–South Africa relations
Canada |
South Africa |
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Canada–South Africa relations are the
It is estimated that as of 2006 around 38,310 South Africans resided in Canada.[1]
Relations
Canada's relationship with South Africa can be traced back to 1899, when Canada sent more than 7,000 troops to support Britain in its war against
In December 1948, te Water returned to Ottawa to lobby the new prime minister Louis St. Laurent who had replaced Mackenzie King after his retirement that year to lobby him to have Canada vote against condemning South Africa at the United Nations for its apartheid policy.[5] Te Water told St. Laurent that it greatly mattered to his government that the fellow members of the Commonwealth should stand with South Africa.[5] The meeting went very badly with St. Laurent failing to offer the expected support, causing te Water to declare that he had come to Ottawa to discuss practical politics, not "philosophical problems".[6] St. Laurent told te Water "how opposed he was in principle to the philosophy which lay beyond the Union's racial policies", saying that Canada would vote at the UN to condemn South Africa for apartheid.[5]
Canada and South Africa had active diplomatic and economic ties during the latter country's
In 1964,
The Canadian government recognised the African National Congress in 1984. Sanctions on South Africa were introduced by the government of Brian Mulroney in 1986, after they had been introduced by several other countries and Canada maintained diplomatic relations, unlike nations such as Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil and Argentina. From October 1986 to September 1993, when sanctions were in place, trade between the two nations was worth $1.6 billion, 44 percent of the value of trade between 1979 and 1985.[7]
The post-apartheid
Canada has assisted South Africa in the areas of development (over
Bilateral consultations between the two countries are held annually typically focusing on issues relating to foreign policy, trade, defence and economic development.[9]
As of 2014/15 Canadian government assistance to South Africa focuses on four issues:
- Improved service delivery with a focus on the poor
- Institutional capacity building of South African government and civil society organisations
- Improve management of natural resources
- Promote a high level of skills, ethics and integrity within government.
Trade
In 2014 South African exports to Canada totaled US$1,104,140,558 whilst Canadian exports to South Africa totaled US$439,256,338 resulting in a trade surplus in South Africa's favour of US$664,884,220.[9] Trade between the two countries totalled $1.27 billion in 2017. Both countries are members of the Cairns Group.
South Africa is a major access point for Canada to access the African market. Canada is an important investor in the South African economy with Canadian companies having investments in a range of South African industries including transportation, food processing, hospitality, information and communication technologies, and instrumentation sectors with the largest focus of Canadian investment being in the
Books and articles
- Reid, Escott (1971). "Five Memories of Louis St. Laurent 1946-49". In Norman Penlington (ed.). On Canada: Essays in Honour of Frank H. Underhill. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 71–82. ISBN 978-1-4875-7746-9.
- Tennyson, Brian Douglas (1982). Canadian Relations with South Africa: A Diplomatic History. Lanham: University Press of America. ISBN 0819126322.
References
- ^ "How many South Africans have left the country?". Politics Web. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
- ^ a b Tennyson 1982, p. 86.
- ^ Tennyson 1982, p. 87.
- ^ "Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone".
- ^ a b c Tennyson 1982, p. 115.
- ^ Reid 1971, p. 81-82.
- ^ a b c Engler, Yves (26 December 2013). "Our shame: Canada supported apartheid South Africa". Canadian Dimension. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "Canada-South Africa Relations". Archived from the original on 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
- ^ a b c Clarke, Anneke. "FOREIGN RELATIONS SPOTLIGHT Canada". The Diplomatic Society. Retrieved 28 August 2015.