Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the covid-19 situation in South Africa.

South Africa is currently experiencing its third wave of COVID-19, with new cases currently averaging over 10,000 a day. On 15 June President Ramaphosa increased lockdown restrictions, including a longer curfew and some limitations on alcohol retail hours. South Africa has started a vaccination programme, and 2.1 million people have received their first dose.

The UK has provided almost £4 million to South Africa's Solidarity Fund including £1.8 million to support the vaccine rollout. A further £2.2 million of support has helped mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups such as women and children, and migrant workers.

On 6 May the Foreign Secretary met the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and they agreed a broad and deep range of bilateral cooperation for the next two years on issues including in health, climate, trade, science and foreign policy. The Prime Minister met with the South African President at the G7 in Cornwall, where they discussed the need to expand COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity globally, and the UK's commitment to donate 100 million surplus vaccines in the next year.