Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa

The National Briefing · Feb 23, 2026 · 6m

Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa

23 February 2026

1.    Russia- Madagascar

Putin meets Madagascar's president at the Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin endorsed Madagascar's new leader during a Kremlin meeting last week, as Russia looks to strengthen its influence in Africa.

"I would like to note that we have many interesting areas of cooperation. These include agriculture, geological exploration, energy, medicine, healthcare and education…