Vietnamese in South Africa help African countries fight COVID-19
The Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa held a ceremony on July 29 to present 50,000 medical masks to representatives from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Eswatini in the country to help its residents fight COVID-19 pandemic.
Waiting for COVID-19 testing in South Africa (Photo: AFP)
Pretoria (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassyin South Africa held a ceremony on July 29 to present 50,000 medical masks torepresentatives from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Eswatini in the country tohelp its residents fight COVID-19 pandemic.
The activity was part of aprogramme to hand over 1 million masks donated by the Vietnamese community andrepresentative agencies in South Africa in support of the host residents andseveral adjacent countries in southern Africa in particular.
Chargé d'Affaires of Eswatiniin South Africa Vulindlela S. Kunene thanked the Vietnamese Government andpeople for the gift amid the wide spread of the pandemic. He added that hiscountry with over 1.1 million people has recorded nearly 23,800 COVID-19 cases.
Vietnamese Ambassador toSouth Africa Hoang Van Loi said masks will be also offered to several schools,localities and communities in South Africa. He also contacted representativesfrom other nations to share gifts to them.
According to him, theVietnamese embassy raised donations from the Vietnamese community andrepresentative agencies to support the national COVID-19 prevention and controlfund at home.
Both sides also discussedcooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Eswatini.
ꦑ Also as a part of the programme to hand over masks to schools in South Africa, the Vietnamese embassy on the same day held aceremony to present 30,000 masks to Waterkloof primary school and 25,000 masksto Pro Arte Alphen Park high school, where manychildren of the Vietnamese community are studying./.
The Vietnam CITES Management Authority and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources handed over 56 rhino horn DNA samples to the South African Embassy in Vietnam on June 1.
Fund-raising programmes to support the national COVID-19 vaccine fund in the homeland were launched by Vietnamese embassies in Tanzania, Mexico, and South Africa on June 10.
The Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa has advised Vietnamese citizens residing and doing business in the country to closely monitor the situation and not to travel to areas that are hotspots of instability.
There is room for Vietnamese exports to the African market, experts said at a virtual workshop on Vietnam-Africa trade promotion held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) on July 21.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
As of July 1, a two-tier local government model started in 34 provinces and cities, streamlining administration but creating a surplus of public properties. If not promptly addressed, these assets could become a financial burden.
Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
Waiting for COVID-19 testing in South Africa (Photo: AFP) 
