At the invitation of the National School of Government of South Africa, Alexey Komissarov, Rector of the Presidential Academy, paid a working visit to South Africa. The visit was aimed at developing practical cooperation in the training and professional development of civil servants, exchanging management experience, and launching joint educational initiatives aimed at addressing current public administration challenges. Discussions focused on developing the human resources potential of the Russian and South African civil service.
The visit included a series of meetings with government officials, academics, and the diplomatic corps. In Johannesburg, Alexey Komissarov met with Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa and current head of the OR Tambo Party School of Leadership.
During the meeting, the possibilities of training representatives of the ruling party, the African National Congress, in the Presidential Academy's programs were discussed. The parties agreed to hold a series of seminars on relevant topics and also explored the possibility of establishing a trilateral cooperation format, with the involvement of a reputable South African university, at the recommendation of the Party School, to develop and further implement dual master's degree programs, student exchanges, and postgraduate programs.
Particular attention was paid to interaction with South African government agencies. In Pretoria, during talks with Pinky Kekana, Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the area of management training. An agreement was reached to admit a group of South African civil servants to the Presidential Academy as early as 2026 to study Russia's management experience in various economic sectors. The development of an educational program for BRICS countries, taking into account the specific economic interests of the member states, was also discussed.
Expanding academic cooperation was discussed during a dialogue with Nkosinathi Sishi, Director of The Department of Higher Education & Training. Specifically, the discussion focused on establishing partnerships with the University of Johannesburg and the University of Cape Town, as well as further developing collaboration with the Academy's key regional partner, the National School of the Government of South Africa. The parties expressed interest in faculty and student exchanges and the joint implementation of educational programs. Separately, the training of Department staff and the possibility of including them in the delegation visiting Russia this year were discussed.
During the visit, the Academy's rector visited the Russian Embassy in South Africa, where he met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Roman Ambarov and Minister-Counselor Evgeny Sadikov. The discussion focused on the specifics of work on the African continent, the history of bilateral relations, and the prospects for implementing the Presidential Academy's educational projects in the region.
In parallel with the Academy's Rector Alexey Komissarov's visit to South Africa, the National School of Government of South Africa is hosting an in-person module of the Presidential Academy's advanced training program, «Digital Transformation of Public Administration» for 50 civil servants from the country's ministries and agencies.
The program is practical and includes both lectures and practical exercises. Participants explore key areas of digital transformation in public administration—from strategic planning and public service delivery to data management and the implementation of GovTech solutions—with an emphasis on adapting and applying management experience to the national public administration system.
