Yellen spoke to reporters alongside South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in Pretoria, where in prepared remarks, she welcomed Godongwana's "cooperation and insightful views" in their talks so far.
Godongwana said the two of them focus on countering the financing of terrorism, climate financing, resolving sovereign debt crises in Africa and global topics that will form part of a meeting of the G20 group of major economies next month.
He said Yellen's visit was a "momentous" occasion, noting the previous visit by a U.S. Treasury secretary was in 2014, and praised Yellen's announcement on Wednesday that the United States and South Africa were setting up a joint task force on combating financing of wildlife trafficking.
The U.S. Treasury issued no statement about Yellen's closed-door meeting on Wednesday with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, a meeting described by Pretoria as a "courtesy call."
"The United States strongly values our relationship with South Africa," Yellen said in remarks that included no mention of Russia or China, or White House concerns about Pretoria's plans to hold joint military drills with both countries.
"This partnership represents South Africa's bold first step toward expanding electricity access and reliability and creating a low carbon and climate resilient economy," Yellen said, adding that it would "alleviate the deep fiscal strain the energy sector is putting on South Africa's economy."
The Treasury secretary, who met with South Africa Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe later on Thursday, singled out South Africa's "Just Energy Transition Partnership," backed in late 2021 by the United States, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, as a key to future growth.
They pledged a combined $8.5 billion to accelerate South Africa's transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, but South Africa's plan could cost five times that much.
"This partnership represents South Africa's bold first step toward expanding electricity access and reliability and creating a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy," Yellen said, adding that it would "alleviate the deep fiscal strain the energy sector is putting on South Africa's economy."
Yellen's trip has kicked off a yearlong charm offensive of U.S. top leader visits to Africa aimed at deepening U.S. economic ties with the continent and countering China's long dominance of trade and lending with many African nations.
Throughout her visit, Yellen has emphasized the right of countries to choose their trading partners, while pitching the greater transparency and lasting nature of engagement with the United States.
