The High Commissioner of Australia to South Africa, known from 1961 to 1994 as the Ambassador of Australia to South Africa, is an officer of the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid (using the branding Australian Aid), consular services and trade and inv ...
and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in
Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...
. The position has the rank and status of an
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
and is currently held by
Gita Kamath since 2 March 2019.
The ambassador also holds
non-resident accreditation as
High Commissioner to
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
(1973–1981, since 2004),
Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
(since 1973),
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
(since 1973),
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
(since 2004), and
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
(since 2010); and as Ambassador to
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
(since 2010), and the representative to the
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana.
Its goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security coopera ...
. The high commission also has oversight for Honorary Consulates in
Luanda
Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...
, Angola, and
Maputo
Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the Capital city, capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a popul ...
, Mozambique.
Posting history
The Australian Government has offered diplomatic representation in Pretoria, South Africa since 1946. Between 1961 and 1994 the designation of the Australian representative in South Africa changed from High Commissioner to Ambassador. On 9 July 1973, ambassador
Colin Moodie received non-resident accreditation as Australia's first High Commissioner to Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.
Heads of mission
Notes
: Also
non-resident High Commissioner to Eswatini (Swaziland before 2018), 1973–present.
: Also non-resident High Commissioner to Lesotho, 1973–present.
: Also non-resident High Commissioner to Botswana, 1973–1981, 2004–present.
: Also non-resident High Commissioner to Mozambique, 2004–present.
: Also non-resident High Commissioner to Namibia, 2004–present.
: Also non-resident Ambassador to Angola, 2010–present.
See also
*
Australia–South Africa relations
The Commonwealth of Australia and the Republic of South Africa formally established diplomatic relations in 1947. Australia is home to one of the largest South African communities abroad with approximately 189,230 South Africans living in the cou ...
*
Foreign relations of Australia
Foreign relations of Australia are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid. Australia's foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and regionalism, as well as to ...
*
Foreign relations of South Africa
The foreign relations of South Africa have spanned from the country's time as Dominion of the British Empire to its isolationist policies under Apartheid to its position as a responsible international actor taking a key role in Africa, particu ...
References
External links
Australian High Commission Pretoria
{{Lists of heads of Australian diplomatic missions
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
Australia–South Africa relations
Australia and the Commonwealth of Nations
South Africa and the Commonwealth of Nations