Indian Minister Pabitra Margherita to Visit Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa
India’s Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, will embark on a multi-nation official visit to Africa from July 18 to 25, covering the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Kingdom of Lesotho, and the Republic of South Africa, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed today.
The visit aims to bolster India’s engagement with African partners across development cooperation, trade, capacity building, and diaspora outreach.
 |
| Image Source: MEA/FM on X |
The agenda will center around strengthening cooperation in trade, capacity building, and development partnership initiatives, as well as engaging with the local Indian diaspora and development stakeholders.
In Lesotho (July 20–22), he is scheduled to call on King Letsie III and Prime Minister Samuel Matekane, and will hold bilateral talks with senior ministers across foreign affairs, education, labour, and innovation portfolios.
This is the first ministerial-level visit from India to Lesotho in a decade, reaffirming New Delhi’s commitment to elevating ties with the Southern African nation.
The final leg of the visit takes MoS Margherita to South Africa (July 23–25), where he will lead India’s delegation to the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting (DMM) in Skukuza.
He is scheduled to meet with South African Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Ms. Maropene Lydia Ramokgopa, alongside counterparts from other G20 nations and international organizations.
Throughout the trip, the Minister will also engage with local Indian communities and prominent business leaders to expand economic and cultural linkages.
The visit shows India’s sustained outreach to Africa and its commitment to South-South cooperation, in line with New Delhi’s broader diplomatic vision for inclusive global development.