After South Africa held its first non-racial elections in 1994 , president Fernando Henrique Cardoso became the first Brazilian head of state to visit South Africa in 1996 . Relations developed quickly between the two countries , especially after the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president in 2002 . Lula 's government has developed strong ties with Thabo Mbeki 's government in South Africa , particular in the areas of AIDS/HIV , fair trade , reform in the United Nations Security Council , land reform , and other socio-economic issues . Relations got a further boost with the creation of the IBSA Dialogue Forum . The second forum was held in South Africa , while the first and fourth summit were in Brazil
fourth summit
2010 IBSA summit
Brazil–South Africa relations