Roelf Meyer

Roelf Meyer is a former minister and negotiator who served in the last government of the apartheid era in South Africa. He played a significant role in negotiating the end of white minority rule in the 1990s. He is newsworthy because South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed him as the new ambassador to the United States in April 2026. This appointment follows a period without a top envoy in the US, after the previous ambassador was expelled in 2025. Meyer's appointment is seen as a strategic move by South Africa to improve its strained relations with the US, particularly after the previous ambassador's expulsion and accusations against former President Trump. His background as a negotiator is considered a valuable asset in mending and strengthening ties between the two countries.