International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who is part of the high-level South African delegation, said on Sunday that India had now lifted sanctions on Denel following talks between Pretoria and New Delhi at the weekend.
“For us, one of the biggest industries in our country was Denel; and when they (Denel) were not able to deal with India, the arms maker began to suffer losses,” Sisulu said.
She added: “Now that we are putting all our energy into reviving Denel because of its capacity in Africa, we are looking to India for support.”
The lifting of the ban happened during a high-level meeting attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa in New Delhi, India, during his State Visit to the sub-continent.
India blacklisted Denel in 2005 after allegations emerged that the arms maker paid kickbacks to a company based in the Isle of Man to help secure deals to supply the Indian army with rifles and rounds of ammunition.
The decision to lift sanctions means that India, which remains one of the biggest buyers of weapons, will resume importing arms from Denel.