South Africas ties to Russia stretch back to the 1960s when the Soviet Union gave support to anti-apartheid freedom fighters. 
Ubale wa South Africa ndi Russia ikuchokera mu zaka za ma 1960 pamene mgwirizano wa Soviet Union unapeleka thandizo kwa anthu amene amamenyera ufulu kutsutsana ndi kusalana chifukwa cha mtundu