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| publisher= South African Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia
| publisher= South African Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia
| accessdate =6 June 2013 }}</ref>
| accessdate =6 June 2013 }}</ref>
Indonesia opened its Embassy in Pretoria in 1995. At present, the two countries share cordial bilateral relations which are multi-facet, covering cooperation in the spheres of political, economic, socio-cultural and others. It is important to mention that Indonesia and South Africa co-chairs the Asian-African Summit which was held in Indonesia in 2005. The outcomes of the Summit, the New Asian African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) charts future direction of the two continents cooperation.<ref name="INAEmb">{{cite web
Indonesia–South Africa relations are foreign bilateral relations between Republic of Indonesia and South Africa. Indonesian–South African relations were formalized through the establishment of diplomatic relations in August 1994. The South African Embassy in Jakarta was established in January 1995, and Indonesia opened its Embassy in Pretoria in 1995. Both nations are the member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and G-20 major economies. In 2012, during a briefing on Foreign Policy initiatives for 2012, Indonesia named South Africa amongst its 14 strategic partners.
According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, Indonesians' perception of South Africa are divided between 36% a negative view, and 33% expressing a positive one, this is about the same as global average opinion on South Africa.
History
Although the diplomatic relations just established recently in the 90's, the historical links between Indonesia and South Africa spanned since 17th century. The Dutch colonized both the Cape of Good Hope (now the city of Cape Town) and the Dutch East Indies (Batavia). Sheik Yusuf, from Ujung Pandang (Makassar), was sent as a political exile by the Dutch to the Cape of Good Hope, arriving there in 1694. It was then that the foundation for the Malay community that today exists in the city of Cape Town was laid. Indonesia and South Africa shares similar history of oppression and subjugation under colonial powers. Indonesia was colonized and went through many ordeals in achieving its independence. Therefore, Indonesians could empathize and relate easily with the struggle for liberation by the oppressed South Africans against the apartheid regime.
Indonesian-South African relations were formalized through the establishment of diplomatic relations in August 1994. The South African Embassy in Jakarta was established in January 1995 and officially opened by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr A Nzo, on 14 July 1997. The South African Embassy in Jakarta is also accredited to ASEAN in order to maintain close interaction with the regional body, and also accredited to Timor Leste since 2009 on a non-residential basis.
Indonesia opened its Embassy in Pretoria in 1995. At present, the two countries share cordial bilateral relations which are multi-facet, covering cooperation in the spheres of political, economic, socio-cultural and others. It is important to mention that Indonesia and South Africa co-chairs the Asian-African Summit which was held in Indonesia in 2005. The outcomes of the Summit, the New Asian African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) charts future direction of the two continents cooperation.
Trade and commerce
Trade between the two countries has seen a steady increase over the past few years and has the potential to grow. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached USD2.14 billion in 2011. Indonesia’s exports were valued at USD1.44 billion in 2011 while imports were around USD705.78 million, resulting in a USD730.81 million trade surplus in favour of Indonesia. The South African market is one of Indonesia’s key non-traditional markets, which is expected to drive future exports.
Strategic partnership
Bilateral relations between South Africa and Indonesia are cordial, a Joint Bilateral Commission was established in 2004 to further improve relations between the two countries. In 2008 a Joint Declaration on a Strategic Partnership was signed on the occasion of a visit by President Yudhoyono to South Africa, followed with the establishment of the Joint Trade Committee in the same year.
Foreign relations of Indonesia
Foreign relations of South Africa