Egypt (Arab Republic of)

History of Relations  || Diplomatic Representation || Travel Info || Health Requirements || Climate Info  || Currency Info || Trade Info || Visits and Meetings  || Agreements || Interest Groups/ Organisations

History of Relations

The first South African Mission in Egypt was established in 1942 as a Consulate-General. The Office was, however, converted to a Legation during 1949, after the Egyptian Council of Ministers decided to elevate their representation in the then Union of South Africa to that of a Legation.

During 1960, a group of seven representatives from South Africa's different "liberation" movements visited Cairo to solicit Egyptian support for the "struggle" in South Africa. This visit signalled the beginning of the end for official South African/Egyptian relations, as well as the beginning of the Egyptian government's support for South African "liberation" movements, which continued for many years. On 30 May 1960, relations between the governments of Egypt and South Africa were officially severed.

Official contacts between the two governments were only reactivated, to a limited extent, during 1988. In June 1988, the Egyptian government offered Cairo as a venue for the Joint Commission Meeting between South Africa, Angola, Cuba, the US and the Soviet Union. It was during this meeting that the first contacts between the then South African Foreign Minister the then Egyptian Foreign Minister, took place.

The first signs of true normalisation appeared in 1991, when the Egyptian Ambassador to Mozambique announced that he would react favourably to visa applications from South African citizens. These improving relations were formalised at the end of 1993, with the opening of the South African and Egyptian Representative Offices in Cairo and Pretoria, respectively. On 11 October 1993, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that full diplomatic relations would be resumed, following the April 1994 general elections in South Africa. Shortly following the elections, both governments announced the upgrading of their respective Representative Offices to that of Embassies.

Bilateral political and economic relations between Egypt and South Africa have improved greatly since 1993. These improvements were underlined in April 1996, with the convening of the First Annual Joint Bilateral Commission Meeting, in Cairo.

Diplomatic Representation

South African Representation in Egypt

H E Mr V W Mavimbela
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

South African Embassy

Egyptian Representation in South Africa

H E Mr Ahmed Taher Elfadly
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Travel Info

Visa Requirements for South Africans

For more information please contact the Egyptian Embassy in Pretoria.

Health Requirements

There are no specific health requirements for South Africans visiting Egypt for short periods of time. It is, however, suggested that persons who intend spending an extended period in Egypt should be immunised against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

For further information go to Travelers' Health.

Climate Info

Cairo has hot dry summers and temperate winters. There are, however, four distinct seasons, which makes it easier to cope with the temperature extremes that are experienced during the summer. The seasons can roughly be identified as follows:

Winter: December - February

Spring: March - May

Summer: June - September

Autumn: October - November

It should, however, be added that the seasons are not cast in stone and therefore it is not uncommon to find drastic departures from the norm.

For up-to-date weather information click here.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN CAIRO:

Jan: 10 - 20 July: 24 - 36

Feb: 12 - 22 Aug: 24 - 35

March: 11 - 21 Sept: 22 - 33

April: 14 - 26 Oct: 18 - 28

May: 18 - 33 Nov: 14 - 25

June: 21 - 34 Dec: 12 - 20

Currency Info

The Egyptian monetary unit is the Egyptian Pound (LE), which can be divided into 100 piasters. The currency is freely convertible.

For current exchange rates click here.

State and Official Visits / Bilateral Meetings

No Information

Bilateral Agreements

If you have any queries with regard to treaties please contact the Treaty Section of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) at 012 351 1000.

Trade Info

For current information on trade statistics between South Africa and Egypt, visit the website of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa.

Interest Groups and Information

No Information