The Princess Royal is due to visit Cape Town on 3–4 November 2026, combining her role in promoting agricultural cooperation across the Commonwealth with engagements focused
on trade, entrepreneurship and the shared history of the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Princess Anne, who serves as President of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC), will attend the organisation’s 31st Commonwealth Agriculture Conference. The event will bring together agricultural specialists, industry leaders and emerging farmers from across Commonwealth countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the global farming sector.
Key topics on the agenda include effective leadership, adapting agriculture to climate change and developing sustainable approaches to food production in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
Beyond the conference, the Princess Royal will participate in several engagements designed to showcase practical cooperation between Britain and South Africa.
One of the visits will focus on township entrepreneurs benefiting from the Township Digital Market Access programme, supported by the UK-South Africa Tech Hub. The initiative helps small businesses in underserved communities strengthen their digital capabilities and use online marketplaces to expand their customer base.
Princess Anne will also visit a stud farm in the Western Cape to learn about a new bilateral trade protocol governing the movement of horses between the two countries. The agreement is intended to facilitate exports and imports, creating new opportunities for the equine industries in both markets.
The programme will also include a meeting with South Africa’s last known surviving Second World War veteran and his family. The Princess Royal is expected to express her gratitude for his military service.
Lisa Weedon, Acting British High Commissioner to South Africa, said the visit would celebrate the people and partnerships underpinning relations between the two countries.
She highlighted the importance of the connections linking farmers, entrepreneurs and veterans, noting that cooperation ranges from emerging commercial opportunities to initiatives supporting small businesses in township communities.
The visit will be Princess Anne’s second trip to South Africa in two years and her sixth overall, according to the British High Commission.
The Commonwealth Agriculture Conference is organised under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, a network connecting agricultural societies throughout the Commonwealth. As its president, the Princess Royal supports efforts to strengthen collaboration across the agricultural sector.
The Township Digital Market Access programme is supported by the UK-South Africa Tech Hub and delivered by 22 on Sloan. It provides entrepreneurs from underserved communities with digital skills and assistance in listing products on e-commerce platforms, including Takealot.
The British High Commission has confirmed that its engagements during the visit will not be open to the media. Official photographs and video footage will be published afterwards through the UK in South Africa’s social media channels and Flickr account. Photo by Carfax2, Wikimedia commons.
