African defense manufacturers should cooperate with countries such as Russia to develop licensed production on the continent, the CEO of South African defense company Milkor has said.

Speaking to RT at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026 exhibition, Jackson Mampa said African countries need this partnership because they currently lack some of the skills required for domestic production.

“If you cooperate with a country like Russia, you know very well that their materials are better tested. So, if you produce those under license in Africa, it will be much, much better,” he said.

Russia, for its part, is placing technological partnerships at the center of its defense cooperation with foreign partners, Denis Gizunov, head of the Rosoboronexport delegation, told RT.

“We can offer projects related to production localization and, above all, other technological cooperation projects,” he added.

Russian Ambassador to South Africa Roman Ambarov told TASS that the country’s display at AAD had drawn significant interest from South African partners and representatives of other countries.

Russia showcased 494 exhibits at AAD 2026, including 30 pieces of military equipment, according to the Russian Embassy in South Africa.

The display included the Lancet-E, KUB-2E, Skat-350M, Orlan-10E, and Orlan-30E drones, as well as Mi-171Sh and Mi-28NE helicopters and the Yak-130 aircraft. The modernized RPG-29M grenade launcher was also presented in Africa for the first time.

Rosoboronexport, Russia’s military export agency, brought together products from leading Russian manufacturers for different branches of the armed forces under the joint Russian defense display.

AAD 2026 took place from September 16 to 20 at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria. The biennial aerospace and defense exhibition brings together manufacturers, government delegations, and industry representatives and showcases military and civilian technologies across the aerospace, land, and maritime sectors.