PM Modi Urges Johannesburg's Indian Entrepreneurs to Deepen India Ties as BAPS Opens Southern Hemisphere's Largest Hindu Temple
The South African Indian diaspora stepped into the international spotlight in late 2025 and early 2026 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Johannesburg and met directly with Indian-origin technology entrepreneurs and community members, urging them to strengthen economic and cultural links with India, while the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha opened the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere in the city's Northriding suburb — a nine-acre complex featuring a 27,000-square-foot mandir built with traditional Indian architecture. Together, these two milestones underscored Johannesburg's growing stature as one of the world's most significant nodes of the South Asian diaspora, home to a community whose roots in South Africa stretch back more than 160 years to the era of indentured labour.
🤝 PM Modi Meets Indian-Origin Tech Entrepreneurs in Johannesburg, Calls for Deeper Engagement with India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Johannesburg in November 2025 and held a dedicated engagement with Indian-origin technology entrepreneurs and members of South Africa's Indian community, calling on them to deepen their connections with India in commercial, cultural, and diplomatic terms. The meeting positioned the South African Indian diaspora as a strategic bridge between the two countries at a moment of expanding India-South Africa bilateral relations. South Africa is home to an estimated one million people of Indian origin, the majority descended from indentured labourers brought to then-Natal from 1860 onward and from post-indenture merchant settlers, a community that over generations built significant commercial networks across retail, manufacturing, and the professions. Johannesburg in particular has become a centre of South Asian-owned enterprise, with Indian-origin entrepreneurs active in information technology, finance, and a range of other industries. Modi's visit carried diplomatic weight as well: India and South Africa are both BRICS members and have deepened bilateral engagement in trade, renewable energy, and defence in recent years. The Johannesburg meeting reflected the Indian government's broader diaspora engagement strategy, which seeks to activate overseas Indian communities as investors, soft-power ambassadors, and partners in India's economic development. Community members reportedly welcomed the Prime Minister's direct acknowledgment of their contributions and expressed renewed interest in exploring India-linked business and investment opportunities in both directions. [1]
🪔 BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Opens Southern Hemisphere's Largest Hindu Temple on Nine-Acre Northriding Campus
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha officially opened the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere on February 2, 2025, in Johannesburg's Northriding neighbourhood, completing phase one of an ambitious temple and cultural complex that covers more than nine acres. The centrepiece is a 27,000-square-foot mandir constructed using traditional Indian architectural methods, featuring intricate stonework and design elements crafted with techniques originating on the subcontinent. Alongside the temple stands a cultural centre dedicated to education, humanitarian service, and social upliftment for the surrounding community. Sustainability was central to the project design: builders incorporated water efficiency measures, solar readiness, and environmentally responsible construction practices throughout the complex. BAPS spokesperson Hemang Desai described the complex at the inauguration as more than a spiritual destination, calling it a hub for cultural enrichment, humanitarian service, and inter-religious dialogue that is open to people of all backgrounds and faiths. The opening ceremony was attended by South African government leaders and His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the global spiritual head of BAPS. Desai noted that the complex honours the Indian South African community's enduring contributions to South Africa and reflects their confidence in its future as a home for generations to come. The Johannesburg BAPS mandir joins a global network of more than 1,000 BAPS temples and is expected to serve as a major pilgrimage site and community resource for Hindus and curious visitors across southern Africa. [3]
Sources: [1] NDTV · [3] Hinduism Today