At the Vietnam-South Africa Business Forum in Cape Town on Friday, Mr. Dien highlighted positive growth in bilateral economic and trade ties.
Two way trade reached 1.3 billion USD in 2025 and topped 1.7 billion USD in the first seven months of 2026, up 45% from a year earlier. South Africa is Vietnam's second-largest trading partner and largest export market in Africa, while Vietnam is South Africa's fifth-largest trading partner in ASEAN.
At the forum, businesses from both countries discussed administrative reform, the investment environment, direct flights, and mining and metallurgy cooperation.
Before leaving South Africa for the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153), scheduled for October 5 in Arusha, Tanzania, Mr. Dien met with the Vietnamese community in the Western Cape province.
