The ambassador of Russia to South Africa is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of South Africa.
The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Russian embassy in Pretoria. There is a consulate-general in Cape Town. The current Russian ambassador to South Africa is , incumbent since 6 September 2024. Since 1992, the ambassador to South Africa has had dual accreditation as the non-resident ambassador to Lesotho.
History of diplomatic relations
The forerunner of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and what was then the Union of South Africa were established in 1942. The Union of South Africa was at this time a dominion of the British Empire, and an agreement was reached on 21 February 1942 to open a consulate in Pretoria. The first consul general, Nikolai Demyanov, was appointed in June 1942. Consuls were appointed for the next few years, until relations were broken off by the South African government on 14 February 1956. Relations remained suspended throughout most of the twentieth century, during which time South Africa became a republic. With a thawing of relationships towards the late 1980s, and the ending of many of the Apartheid measures, relations were established on 9 November 1991. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, South Africa recognised the Russian Federation as its successor state, and full diplomatic relations were established on 28 February 1992. That year the embassy in Lesotho was closed as part of cost-saving measures, and thereafter Russian interests have been represented by the embassy in South Africa, with the Russian ambassador to South Africa dually accredited to Lesotho.
List of representatives of Russia to South Africa (1942–present) Consuls-general in Pretoria (1942–1956) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesNikolai DemyanovConsul GeneralJune 1942March 1944 Ivan ZyabkinConsul GeneralMarch 19441945Pavel AntroshchenkovConsul GeneralJuly 19461949Aleksey KhripunovActing Consul General19491952Acting Consul General1952November 1955Nikolai IvanovConsul GeneralNovember 195514 February 1956
Ambassadors of the Russian Federation to South Africa (1992–present) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesAmbassador31 December 19928 August 1997Ambassador8 August 199728 November 2000Ambassador28 November 200022 June 2006Ambassador22 June 200620 February 2012Credentials presented on 15 August 2006Ambassador20 February 20123 July 2019Credentials presented on 14 June 2012 Ambassador3 July 20196 September 2024Credentials presented on 15 October 2019Ambassador6 September 2024Credentials presented on 27 March 2025
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