South Africa has confirmed plans to relocate the Taiwan office from Pretoria to Johannesburg and rebrand it as the Taiwan Commercial Office. Minister Ronald Lamola explained that the shift reflects South Africa’s stance of engaging Taiwan strictly on trade and commerce, in line with practices in other capitals worldwide. The move, initially scheduled for October 2024, was delayed to March 2025 due to negotiations, but Lamola insists the transition is now a “done deal.” However, Taiwan has pushed back, accusing Lamola of misrepresenting its global diplomatic presence to justify the downgrade. The dispute underscores the lingering tensions in South Africa’s post-1997 shift from Taipei to Beijing.
IOL