Ministers & Ambassadors

H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço

President Republic of Angola

Hon. Rufin Benam Beltoungou

Minister of Mines and Geology Central African Republic

Hon. Abdelkerim Mahamat Abdelkerim

Minister of Mines & Geology Chad

Abdelkerim Mahamat Abdelkerim is the Minister of Mines and Geology. He was appointed member of the Government of the Transitional Military Council on May 2, 2021. He was reappointed to the new Government of National Unity of the Transition on October 14, 2022. He did his higher education in Dakar, Senegal where he obtained a Diploma of Higher Studies in Social Sciences. He began his career at the Ministry of Public Health where he held several technical responsibilities. He held high positions including Director General at the Ministry in charge of Social Action. He also had extensive experience in a humanitarian organization where he held the position of Country Director for 13 years. He has a total of 29 years of alternating career between the public and private sectors and has good experience in the field of coordination, planning and management of sustainable development projects.

Hon. Million Matheos

Ministry of State Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Hon. Eng. Habtamu Tegene

Minister of Mines Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

H.E. Dr. Eng. Habtamu Itefa Geleta is the Minister of Water and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. He was appointed to the post on 5 October 2021 by H.E Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

He got his first degree in 1999 and his second degree in 2006 in Irrigation Engineering both from Arba Minch University, Ethiopia. And he got his PhD in Hydraulic Engineering from Stuttgart University, Germany in 2011.

He began his career as a practicing engineer at the Benishangul-Gumuz regional Water Bureau and then joined in the academic sphere where he lectured at Arba Minch University and later on at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, respectively. He also served at different leadership positions from school dean to University Vice-President.

He then went on to serve as Deputy Head of Urban and Housing Bureau of the Oromia Regional State from 2016 to 2017; Director-General of the Oromial Regional State Road Authority from 2017 to 2019 and Head of the Oromia Regional State Water and Energy Resource Development Bureau from 2019 up until his present Ministerial appointment to lead the Ministry of Water and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Hon. Nani Ould Chrougha

Minister of Energy, Petroleum, and Mines Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Hon. Dr Oladele Henry Alake

Minister of Solid Minerals Development Nigeria

Writer, author and a seasoned media professional, Mr. Oladele Alake, the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals was the Honourable Commissioner for Information & Strategy in Lagos, Nigeria's most industrial and cosmopolitan state between 1999 and 2007.

In that capacity, he was involved in formulating the strategic and tactical initiatives which made the administration of Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, then the Governor of Lagos State to record outstanding achievements. These marked its record of excellence in industry, finance, education, health, employment and community development.

Among the celebrated achievements of the administration are the computerisation of government operations, environmental reforms, Bar Beach reclamation project, increase in revenue generation from N600 million to N7 billion in eight years, N15 billion rehabilitation of the Lagos Island Business District, Lagos Independent Power Project, construction of millennium schools, establishment of new general hospitals, construction of highways and inner city roads, introduction of the Bus Rapid Transfer system and massive employment of youths.

Born October 6, 1956, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Master's in Mass Communications from the prestigious University of Lagos, Nigeria.

A statesman par excellence gifted with the Midas touch to transform organizations and systems, Alake has been instrumental to the establishment and development of many media organizations, including Lagos Television, The Nation Newspaper, Television Continental (TVC), Max FM station, Adaba FM, and National Life.

Widely travelled and acknowledged as an influential and prodigious political communications guru, Alake rose to the pinnacle of his career as a journalist at the Concord Press of Nigeria, where he was the Editor of Sunday Concord and National Concord newspapers at various times. 

He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a former Vice President of the Guild.

He was a Consultant on Public Affairs to the African Finance Corporation, AFC, chairman of Statedgemax, a public relations firm, and director of Gravitas, a media company.

Until he was appointed the Honourable Minister, he was the Special Adviser on Strategy, Communications & Special Duties to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Hon Mila Ami Aziable

Minister of Mines and Energy Republic of Togo

Hon. Julius Daniel Mattai

Minister Mines and Mineral Resources Republic of Sierra Leone

Hon Samou Seidou Adambi

Minister of Water & Mines Republic of Benin

I hold a DEA and a DESS in Finance and Management Control obtained at the Doctoral School of Management of the University of Abomey-Calavi in 2011 and 2012.

I was the Deputy of the City of Parakou, then Mayor of the same city before going to sit in the National Assembly from 2007 to 2011.

I led the Emergency Environmental Management in Urban Areas project from 2015 to 2017 before becoming Minister of Water and Mines, which I have hold since November 2017 to the present day.

Hon. Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly

Minister of Mines, Petrol & Energy Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

Mr. Mamadou Coulibaly Sangafowa has held the post of Minister of Agriculture of Côte d'Ivoire since February 2010. His department was expanded to rural development in January 2016 and his exact title is since then, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Côte d’Ivoire. Before becoming a Minister, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Minister of Agriculture from 2003 to 2010 while being the Government Commissioner within the Fonds Interprofessionnel pour la Recherche et le Conseil Agricole (FIRCA - Interprofessional Fund for Agricultural Research and Counselling), Chairman of the Management Committee of Institut National de Formation Agricole (INFPA - the National Institute for Agricultural Training), Director at Centre de Démonstration et de Promotion de Technologie (DDT the Center of Demonstration and Promotion of Technology) and the Fund of Regulation and Control of coffee-cocoa. As Minister in charge of Agriculture, he sets priority goals and ambitions in the sector for the establishment of an efficient and competitive agriculture; a profitable agriculture and able to provide producers with a substantial and sustainable income; developing an agricultural sector mastered by better-trained farmers playing a full role with the State; the organization of the management of the sector; and that is part of a sustainable development. These objectives that are expressed in the National Agricultural Investment Plan implemented since 2012. Before working for the State of Côte d'Ivoire, he created his business in 1992 and he specialized in exporting agricultural products. That experience earned him, among others, the "Prize for the best mango brand" awarded by the Liaison Committee Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific - (COLEACP).

As part of his departmental activities, he is appointed in April 2016, by his peers, President of the 29th FAO Regional Conference for Africa for a two-year term in which he will have to defend African positions in agricultural governance in the highest levels of decision making. The minister has been a member of the Politburo of Rassemblement Des Républicains (R.D.R. Rally of Republicans) since the creation of the party in 1994. He has held several senior positions. These commitments serving his country earned him the recognition of the State which raised him to the rank of Officer in the National Order and Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit. It has just been decorated at the last international fair of agriculture of Paris as Commander in the Order of French Agricultural Merit by his colleague the Minister Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, Agro Industry and Forestry He holds a Master of Science and Techniques from the University of Abidjan and he also completed graduate studies in Accounting and Financial Techniques at Institut National Supérieur de l’Enseignement Technique de Yamoussoukro (I.N.S.E.T the Higher National Institute of Vocational Education of Yamoussoukro).

Hon. Ruth Nankibirwa Ssetemu

Minister of Energy & Mineral Development Republic of Uganda

Hon. Dr. Oumar Sarr

Minister of Mines and Geology Republic of Senegal

Dr. Oumar SARR has been Minister of Mines and Geology in the Government of Senegal since November 1, 2020.

He is a computer science engineer, holding a Ph. D. in Computer Science from Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris 6).

He has published articles in Computer science journals on results achieved by his Ph.D. thesis which related to Deepening new technologies in the design of information systems and databases.

As a committed politician, intellectual and pan-Africanist, he is the President of the Liberal and Democrat Party and since 1996, he has been elected Mayor of Dagana, his hometown in northern Senegal.

He sat as a member of the Senegalese National Assembly from 2012 to 2017.

From 2000 to 2012, he has held many positions within the Senegalese Democratic Party and in the Government of President Abdoulaye Wade, notably as Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Transport, then Minister of Town Planning and Housing, Urban Hydraulics, Public Hygiene and Sanitation in addition to Minister of State, Minister of Town Planning, Housing, Hydraulics and Sanitation.

Dr. Oumar SARR was also Managing Director of the main public real estate company in Senegal (SICAP SA) from 2001-2005.

After his military studies in Kadiogo in Burkina Faso, and his Higher and Specialized Mathematics studies in France, he became Engineer then Doctor in Computer Science. Afterwards, he performed as a teacher at the University of Paris 12, at the African Institute of Computer Science in Libreville (Gabon) and at the Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar.

Hon. Hotna Cufuk Na Doha

Minister of Natural Resources Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Hon. Moussa Magassouba

Minister of Mines and Geology Republic of Guinea

Honourable Moussa Magassouba has twenty years of experience in the mining sector in Guinea and internationally and was appointed as Minister for Mines and Geology in November 2021.

Mr. Magassouba graduated in 2001 from the Boké Higher Institute of Mining and Geology with a degree in Mining Engineering and began his career as a mining engineer at AngloGold Ashanti, Guinea (SAG) before being recruited by Kouroussa Gold (SEMAFO-GUINEE) in 2002.

He subsequently obtained a master’s degree in mining engineering and mineral economics from the Mackay School of Mines and from the Colorado School of Mines, and a master’s degree in international business from Columbia University, New York, USA.

Mr. Magassouba’s previous posts include Director of Mining for North America at the consulting firm ACCENTURE, Deputy CEO for mining for the Saudi Government from 2014 to 2020 and CEO at AngloGold Ashanti Guinea (SAG) from 2020 to 2021.

Hon. Zhemu Soda

Minister of Mines and Mining Development Republic of Zimbabwe

Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Republic of Ghana

H.E. Mr. Hakan Juholt

Ambassador Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in South Africa

H.E. Mairin Moreno

Ambassador Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Mr. Armand Tiemtore

Charge d'Affaires Embassy of Burkina Faso in South Africa

H.E Andre Nzapayake

Ambassador Embassy of the Central African Republic in South Africa

H.E. Tegan Brink

High Commissioner Commonwealth of Australia

H.E. Ms. Minoli Perera

Ambassador to Zimbabwe Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia in Zimbabwe

H.E. Ms. Julia Niblett

Ambassador to Ethiopia Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia in Ethiopia

H.E. Ms. Leilani Bin-Juda

High Commissioner to Nigeria High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia in Nigeria

H.E Dr. Muktar Kedir Addu

Ambassador Embassy of Ethiopia to South Africa

H.E. Jarr Inalla

Ambassador Islamic Republic of Mauritania

H.E. Sakaria Kone

Ambassador Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

H.E. Mr. Charles A. Owiredu

High Commissioner High Commission of the Republic of Ghana in South Africa

H.E. Prabhat Kumar

High Commissioner of India to South Africa Republic of India

Mr. John D. Fintakpa Lamega

Charge d'Affaires Embassy of the Republic of Togo in South Africa

H.E. Mrs. Sara Valdes Bolano

Ambassador Mexico

Ambassador of Mexico to the Republic of South Africa since December 2021. Non-resident ambassador to the Republics of Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and to the Kingdoms of eSwatini, Lesotho.

Born in México City, and career diplomat since 1990. At the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she was i.a. Director General for Africa and the Middle East (2008 -2012) and Director of Cultural Cooperation 1998-2000.

Abroad, she has been Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (2015-2021) and non-resident the Kingdom of Cambodia (2015-2019), director of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Paris (2012-2015), deputy head of mission at the Embassy to Ireland (2006-2008), political counsellor at the Mexican Mission to the European Union (2000-2006) and cultural attaché in Belgium and Luxemburg (1992-1997).

Before joining the Mexican Foreign Service, she worked as free-lance for the OECD Documentation Center in Paris.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris; a Master’s Degree in Social History from University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne), and PhD studies in Social History at University of Paris VIII, Saint-Denis. She also holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Bourgogne.

She is member of the Mexican Chapter of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC).

H.E. Jose Luis Rivas Lopez

Ambassador Embassy of Uruguay in South Africa

H.E. David Hamadziripi

Ambassador Republic of Zimbabwe

Mr.Vincent Kone

Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Embassy of the Republic of Guinea

Dr. Mary A. Ogbe

Permanent secretary, Ministry of solid minerals development Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in South Africa

Mr. John Humphrey

His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Africa Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

John Humphrey is His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa. He was appointed in June 2022.

Prior to joining the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), John was the Group Chief Executive Officer of Kent HoldCo Limited (KHL).

Between 2012 and 2019 John was with the UK Hydrographic Office (an MOD Trading Fund). From 2015 he was Chief Executive and Accounting Officer. Before that he was Chief Commercial Officer, Deputy Chief Executive and Interim Chief Commercial Officer.

Earlier in his career, John worked in the technology sector in a variety of commercial, general management and executive roles in the UK and overseas.

He is also a Lay Trustee of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy and a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

HM Trade Commissioner for Africa

The HM Trade Commissioner for Africa works closely with the wider diplomatic network and other colleagues to coordinate the UK government effort to promote UK trade and investment across the African continent.

The Trade Commissioner has full responsibility for all Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work in Africa including:

• growing the overall bilateral trade and investment relationship between the UK and Africa
• improving market access for British companies, including small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs)
• developing finance and trade policy