BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. South Africa has appointed Lungisani Dominic Ntombela as its new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan, as the two countries seek to strengthen bilateral relations.
This was reflected in a press release published by the press service of the Turkmen government.
According to the publication, Ntombela presented his credentials to Chairwoman of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Turkmenistan Dunyagozel Gulmanova, who received them on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for developing bilateral and multilateral cooperation between their countries, particularly within the United Nations and other international organizations. The ambassador was also briefed on the structure and activities of the Mejlis and Turkmenistan's foreign policy priorities.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with African countries this year, seeking to expand political contacts and explore opportunities for trade and economic cooperation. Among the notable developments were meetings with representatives of Chad, Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda, Kenya and Algeria, reflecting Ashgabat's growing interest in strengthening ties across different parts of the continent.
In January, Turkmen officials held talks with Chad's newly appointed ambassador, discussing cooperation in political, trade and economic, and cultural fields. In April, the foreign ministers of Turkmenistan and Tunisia discussed ways to increase bilateral trade, promote business exchanges and encourage companies to participate in each other's exhibitions. Contacts with Egypt in the same month included plans to resume meetings of the joint intergovernmental commission and expand cooperation in healthcare, education and tourism.
Economic cooperation also featured in discussions with Uganda and Kenya. During a Turkmen delegation's visit to Kampala in May, the sides explored opportunities in energy, textiles, agriculture and food processing, as well as the organization of business forums and trade exhibitions. In July, talks with Kenya covered potential cooperation in energy, agriculture, transport and textiles. Turkmenistan also received the credentials of newly appointed ambassadors from Kenya and Algeria during the year, while discussions with the Algerian side focused on expanding political, trade and economic, and cultural ties.
Turkmenistan's private sector has also been expanding its presence in Africa through projects implemented by Aýdyň Gijeler in Eswatini. In June 2026, the company established two enterprises in the country: Aýdyň Gijeler Eswatini, focused on producing national identity cards and biometric passports, and Eswatini Quantum Works, which will manufacture electrical and infrastructure equipment, including cables, lighting poles, traffic lights and road signs.
The projects followed talks between the company and Eswatini's authorities, including a meeting with King Mswati III in May 2026. The sides discussed plans to produce 1.5 million national identity cards and more than 500,000 biometric passports. An agreement was also reached to allocate a four-hectare site for production facilities. The establishment of the two enterprises represents a concrete example of Turkmen private-sector involvement in Africa, extending cooperation beyond diplomatic contacts into digital identification systems and infrastructure manufacturing.
