South Africa appoints former apartheid-era negotiator as US ambassador
TL;DR
South Africa has appointed Roelf Meyer, a key negotiator from the apartheid era, as its new ambassador to the US. This move aims to enhance diplomatic relations after a challenging period.
Key points
- Roelf Meyer appointed as South Africa's US ambassador
- Meyer was a key negotiator in ending apartheid
- South Africa lacked diplomatic representation since March 2025
Mentioned in this story
South Africa has appointed Roelf Meyer, who helped negotiate the end of white minority rule in his country in the 1990s, as the next ambassador to the United States, according to local media.
Meyer’s appointment is seen as a sign that Pretoria is aiming to improve its relations with Washington following a “turbulent year”, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
South Africa has gone without diplomatic representation in Washington, DC, since March 2025, when US President Donald Trump expelled Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool for his criticism of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
Posting on social media at the time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates the US and Trump.
Rubio’s post linked to a story by US conservative news site Breitbart that reported on a talk Rasool gave on a webinar organised by a South African think tank. Rasool had spoken in academic terms of the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity and equity programmes, as well as immigration, and mentioned the possibility of a future US where white people would no longer be in the majority.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre left, and former minister and constitutional negotiator Roelf Meyer, centre right, during the first National Convention at the University of South Africa, Pretoria, in August 2025 [File: Phill Magakoe/AFP]
Trump last year also issued an executive order freezing most foreign assistance to South Africa amid the country’s legal action at the International Court of Justice over Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the passage of a controversial South African law aimed at correcting historic racial disparities in land ownership.
Tensions escalated further when Trump then launched a refugee programme for white South Africans, whom the US president claims face government-led persecution in their home country.
Meyer, 78, is a seasoned negotiator with experience working under pressure. As a member of South Africa’s white Afrikaans minority, he once served as a minister under the apartheid Nationalist Party government.
He rose to prominence in the 1990s, during the final days of apartheid, as the Nationalist Party held talks with the African National Congress (ANC) to end segregation and white minority rule. The talks paved the way for South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.
As the chief negotiator, Ralph had become acquainted with South Africa’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who was then an ANC negotiator.
Meyer himself later joined the ANC in 2006.
He is set to take up the post as US ambassador once all protocols are complete in Washington, DC, according to Ramaphosa’s office.
Q&A
Who is Roelf Meyer and what role did he play in South Africa's history?
Roelf Meyer is a former negotiator who played a crucial role in ending apartheid in South Africa during the 1990s.
Why did South Africa go without an ambassador in Washington, DC since March 2025?
South Africa has been without an ambassador in Washington, DC since March 2025 due to the expulsion of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool by then-President Donald Trump.
What does Roelf Meyer's appointment signify for US-South Africa relations?
Meyer's appointment is seen as an effort by South Africa to improve its diplomatic relations with the United States after a turbulent year.
