Before 1902, the southern part of Africa that is now South Africa was under the hegemony of Great Britain. There also were two self-proclaimed independent states: Transvaal (also known as the South African Republic), and the Orange Free State. The British and the Boers fought two wars, known as the First Boer War (1880–1881) and the Second Boer War (1899–1902); after the second war, in which the British prevailed, both republics were incorporated into the British Empire. On May 31, 1910, the two ex-republics and the British colonies of the Cape and Natal formed the Union of South Africa, a self-governing dominion of the British Empire.
The United States appointed its first envoy to South Africa, Ralph J. Totten, in 1929. He was appointed as Minister Resident/Consul General and promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary the following year.
South Africa was renamed the Republic of South Africa on May 31, 1961, after links to the British crown were severed.
Ambassadors Note: The ambassadors were commissioned to the Union of South Africa until 1961 when South Africa became a republic. +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesRalph J. Totten – Career FSOTotten was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary while in office. This required a new commission.Minister Resident/Consul GeneralDecember 19, 1929February 18, 1930June 20, 1930Ralph J. Totten – Career FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 20, 1930September 8, 1930April 12, 1937Leo J. Keena – Career FSOJuly 31, 1937October 22, 1937August 13, 1942Lincoln MacVeagh – Political appointeeMay 21, 1942October 21, 1942November 21, 1943Thomas Holcomb – Political appointeeMarch 21, 1944June 14, 1944May 30, 1948North Winship – Career FSOWinship was promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary while in office. This required a new commission.Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 24, 1948June 11, 1948December 20, 1949 The title of the office was changed to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on March 2, 1949.John G. Erhardt – Career FSOErhardt died while in office on February 18, 1951.May 23, 1950October 4, 1950Died at Cape Town, February 18, 1951Waldemar J. Gallman – Career FSOAugust 22, 1951October 18, 1951August 15, 1954Edward T. Wailes – Career FSOWailes was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 3, 1954.September 15, 1954November 29, 1954August 11, 1956Henry A. Byroade – Career FSOJuly 26, 1956October 9, 1956January 24, 1959Philip K. Crowe – Political appointeeFebruary 16, 1959April 22, 1959April 6, 1961Joseph C. Satterthwaite – Career FSOSatterthwaite was reaccredited to the Republic of South Africa when South Africa became a republic. A new letter of credence was submitted to the Foreign Office on May 31, 1961 but was not formally presented.April 6, 1961May 22, 1961May 31, 1961 South Africa became a republic on May 31, 1961. This required a new commission for the ambassador. Hereafter ambassadors were commissioned to the Republic of South Africa.Joseph C. Satterthwaite – Career FSOMay 31, 1961May 31, 1961November 17, 1965William M. Rountree – Career FSOOctober 20, 1965January 8, 1966June 5, 1970John G. Hurd – Political appointeeJuly 24, 1970September 10, 1970April 7, 1975William G. Bowdler – Career FSOMarch 17, 1975May 14, 1975April 19, 1978William B. Edmondson – Career FSOMay 3, 1978June 5, 1978July 22, 1981Herman W. Nickel – Political appointeeMarch 29, 1982April 20, 1982October 4, 1986Edward Joseph Perkins – Career FSOOctober 16, 1986November 27, 1986May 22, 1989William Lacy Swing – Career FSOAugust 7, 1989September 8, 1989July 5, 1992Princeton N. Lyman – Career FSOJuly 14, 1992September 21, 1992December 14, 1995James A. Joseph – Political appointeeDecember 19, 1995February 27, 1996November 7, 1999Delano Lewis – Political appointeeNovember 16, 1999January 21, 2000June 22, 2001Cameron R. Hume – Career FSONovember 5, 2001November 29, 2001July 28, 2004Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer – Political appointeeMay 25, 2004August 10, 2004August 26, 2005Eric M. Bost – Political appointeeJuly 20, 2006August 15, 2006January 20, 2009Donald Gips - Political AppointeeJuly 7, 2009October 1, 2009January 2, 2013Patrick Gaspard - Political AppointeeAugust 26, 2013October 16, 2013December 16, 2016Jessica Lapenn - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimDecember 16, 2016N/ASeptember 13, 2019Lana Marks - Political AppointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 4, 2019January 28, 2020January 20, 2021John Groarke - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 20, 2021March 2021Todd P. Haskell - Career FSOMarch 2021April 11, 2022Heather Merritt - Career FSOApril 11, 2022August 11, 2022Reuben Brigety - Political AppointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 21, 2022August 11, 2022January 3, 2025Dana M. Brown - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 3, 2025March 14, 2025David Greene – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimMarch 14, 2025September 2025Leo Brent Bozell III - Political AppointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 18, 2025February 23, 2026Present
Notes
See also Embassy of South Africa, Washington, D.C. South Africa – United States relations Foreign relations of South Africa Ambassadors of the United States
References United States Department of State: Background notes on South Africa
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for South Africa United States Department of State: South Africa United States Embassy in Pretoria