South Africa–Taiwan relations to South Africa H. K. Yang noting, "South Africa and my country are joined in the fight against communism. We are in favour of free enterprise, democracy and freedom". Relations expanded in the 1980s with South African leader P. W. Botha visiting in 1980 as Prime Minister. Earlier in 1980, former Taiwan Premier Sun Yun-suan visited South Africa. Vice President of Taiwan Hsieh Tung-min was present when the 1983 South African Constitution was inaugurated. Botha visited Taiwan again in 1986, this time as State President. Trade and political relations grew until the 1990s, when Nelson Mandela withdrew recognition of the
Cricket in South Africa (who was the first black cricketer to play for South Africa), Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma. Today, cricket is the second most popular sport in South Africa, and is the only sport in the country to feature in the top 2 sports of all race groups. This has had both successes – Herschelle Gibbs, a Cape Coloured, is one of the sport's most dominating batsmen and the black bowler Makhaya Ntini reached number 2 in the ICC Player Rankings in 2006 – and unintended side effects. Kevin Pietersen, who is white and was born to a