1. Ambassador, can you share a bit about your diplomatic journey and what led you to your current role in South Africa?

I joined Itamaraty, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 1985. Upon completing my training, I undertook further studies at Sorbonne University in Paris and a short placement at our Embassy in Washington. At our headquarters in Brasília, I worked in the economic, environmental, and science and technology areas, while having served abroad long-term in Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, and at our Mission to the United Nations in New York, not to mention several short-term assignments worldwide.

In 2010, upon my promotion to Ambassador, I was celebrated as the first African-Brazilian career diplomat to reach that rank. I thereafter headed Itamaraty’s Department for Science and Technology for eight years. Before coming to Pretoria, I served as Consul General in Boston, there supporting a community of over 370.000 Brazilians. When considering my subsequent assignment, I chose South Africa in light of the importance of our bilateral relationship. I was also delighted to have the opportunity to “reconnect”.

2. What have been your first impressions of South Africa, both professionally and culturally?

Living here has been an incredible journey of personal enrichment and professional learning. It is a privilege to attest first-hand the many similarities between our societies. I feel honored and grateful to be able to serve my country in a place with such a unique and inspiring history. Above all, I have also had the opportunity to witness a qualitative change in the relationship between Brazil and South Africa, leading to this particular moment in which we are developing a sentiment of mutual discovery and renewed reciprocal interest.

3. Brazil and South Africa are both influential voices in the Global South. How would you describe the current state of diplomatic relations between the two countries?

Brazil and South Africa are two multiracial democracies and developing nations with common challenges and aspirations. The relationship between Brazil and South Africa is at a very promising moment. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State visit to Brazil, which took place just a few weeks ago, on 9-10 March 2026, was an important milestone. We are working towards making sure that the momentum of the presidential visit is maintained in the preparation of the upcoming bilateral Joint Commission meeting, to be held in June 2026 in South Africa, when we expect to advance our cooperation even further in matters of trade, defense, culture, and S&T, among others.

Based on our convergent world views and commonality of aspirations and challenges, our countries are strong partners at the United Nations and its specialized agencies, as well as in other multilateral settings such as BRICS and G20. Both Brazil and South Africa share the conviction that there is a need to democratize the global governance mechanisms, including the United Nations and the international financial institutions, with a view to make the voice and participation of developing countries more relevant and to foster collective action towards peace and security, the fight against hunger and poverty, and sustainable development in full respect of human rights.

4. Trade between Brazil and South Africa continues to grow. What are the key sectors currently driving this relationship?

The current geopolitical landscape is encouraging countries to diversify trade and build more reliable supply chains. In this context, Brazil and South Africa are natural partners. Although bilateral trade remains well below its full potential, it has proven resilient, and both sides have agreed to explore opportunities for its further expansion.

At present, Brazil supplies poultry, beef, sugar and higher-value foods that often support the South African food processing industry. Brazilian investment in South Africa has been steadily growing in the machinery, automobile and aircraft sectors. South Africa exports coal, manganese and platinum group metals which feed the Brazilian industry. South African companies also invest in the mining, finance and retail sectors in Brazil. Bilateral trade in manufactured goods has also increased. Energy and green economy offer expanding cooperation opportunities in the areas of biofuels, hydropower, solar and wind energy. Services and innovation (fintech, digital logistics) are emerging areas to be further explored.

5. Technology transfer is essential for development. Are there initiatives or partnerships in place to promote knowledge-sharing between Brazilian and South African industries?

Both governments are committed to fostering cooperation in science, technology and innovation. Negotiations are underway with a view to signing an agreement in order to structure joint research, expertise exchange and collaboration in areas such as digital tech, health, agriculture and clean energy.

During the State visit, both leaders also highlighted the interest in pursuing collaboration in new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and quantum technologies. They also stressed the importance of strengthening links between universities, research centres and the private sector in order to build capacity and develop skills.

6. Are there joint efforts to address challenges such as illegal fishing, piracy, or ocean conservation?

On these matters, Brazil and South Africa have been working in cooperation with like-minded countries in the pertinent multilateral, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and relevant FAO instruments.

Regionally, Brazil and South Africa engage through the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZOPACAS), which brings together 24 African and South American states. A meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the ZOPACAS member states was convened recently in Brazil and approved the Rio de Janeiro Declaration and a Cooperation Strategy covering oceanographic research, maritime defense, security and fishing.

As megabiodiverse countries, Brazil and South Africa share the goal of reconciling the protection of their rich biodiversity with the need to provide sustainable development for the respective populations. The possibilities of cooperation in biotechnology are immense and benefit from the fact that both countries possess important institutions and technical capacity and experience.

7. Looking ahead, what are your key priorities during your tenure as Ambassador to further strengthen Brazil–South Africa relations?

My first and foremost priority will always be, naturally, to contribute to the further expansion and deepening of the ties between Brazil and South Africa in their multiple dimensions – political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people. I aim to also contribute to the consolidation of the Brazilian relationship with the African continent as a whole, thereby giving concrete expression to Brazil’s standing as a proud member of the African Diaspora.

8. What message would you like to share with South Africans about Brazil as a partner, destination, and cultural ally?

Brazil’s doors are open to South Africa and its people, who share with us rich historic ties. Like South Africa, Brazil has an enormous diversity of biomes, landscapes, natural and man-made attractions, and human experiences, as well as a richness and variety in music and cuisine. Brazil is home to the largest population of African descent outside Africa. There are deep cultural connections, which can be clearly perceived in cities like Salvador, in the state of Bahia. Traveling to Brazil should be very convenient for South African citizens, as there are non-stop flights from São Paulo to Johannesburg and Cape Town, and they are exempt from obtaining tourist or business visas.