Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

16 April 2026

2-minute read

Roelf Meyer has been appointed as South Africa’s ambassador to the US, sparking much debate following the turbulent relations between the two countries.

While some feel that Meyer’s skin colour, contacts, experience and capabilities in mediation and conflict resolution make him the best man for the job, others think that his baggage from the apartheid administration may mean that he is not the ideal candidate.

According to political analyst Dirk Kotzé, the upside to the Meyer filling the post of ambassador is his close association with President Ramaphosa. The project undertaken by the US to take on Afrikaner “refugees” may find him playing the counter-role in the US. Meyer is also a “seasoned person” in understanding government foreign policy, diplomacy and international relations, essential traits to get the embassy up and running again.

Although he will work with the state department, members of the congress, and businesspeople and not directly with the president, Kotzé claims that the position will be a “very difficult task” for Meyer.

AfriForum is not too happy with the appointment as it means that they have now lost their monopoly on direct access to the Americans. The task is a long term one, as there hasn’t been “a real form of leadership,” that left a vacuum which was filled by AfriForum. Led by President Ramaphosa’s main negotiator, there are different forms of negotiation already taking place focusing on trade and other relations.

Kotzé says that it is essential that Meyer establishes himself first before establishing his credentials and then developing a wider network. With his previous experience in civil society organizations and as a businessman in his own right, Roelf Meyer has the business knowhow necessary for the position. However, it will take time for Meyer to familiarise himself with “the dynamics and details of the issues present in this situation.”

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Dirk Kotzé here.