Ramaphosa picks ex-minister as South Africa's new ambassador to France
President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly appointed former State Security boss Ayanda Dlodlo, 63, as South Africa’s ambassador-designate to France. News of the deployment to the Paris post comes ahead of. . .
President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly appointed former State Security boss Ayanda Dlodlo, 63, as South Africa’s ambassador-designate to France. News of the deployment to the Paris post comes ahead of Ramaphosa’s working visit to the country next week. It also arrives at a sensitive diplomatic juncture for Pretoria, following a geopolitical fallout over the recent G7 summit and the tragic passing of the previous ambassador. According toreportson Monday, the Presidency confirmed Dlodlo’s appointment to succeed Nathi Mthethwa. Mthethwa, 58,died in September 2025after a fatal fall from a Paris hotel’s 22nd floor, a traumatic death that prompted a French police investigation. Dlodlo now steps into the South African embassy in Paris at a time when relations between the two nations are navigating complex international headwinds. Why the French embassy matters nowThe new ambassador-designate is set to arrive just weeks after a diplomatic spat that sawFrance withdraw South Africa’s invitation to the June G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains. Pretoria cited intense pressure and boycott threats from the United States government as the reason for the exclusion, although Paris officially denied the claim, choosing to invite Kenya instead. Despite this, France remains a critical economic partner, with over400 French companiescurrently operating in South Africa. Ramaphosa is expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron during his 10 to 12 July visit. The president will co-chair a UNESCO education committee and attend the 110th commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood to honour South African soldiers who died in World War 1. Dlodlo’s posting follow’s Ramaphosa’srecent appointment of Roelf Meyer to the United States. In April, the president sent the former National Party minister to Washington as ambassador to navigate the increasingly hostile administration of US President Donald Trump. Who is Ayanda Dlodlo?Dlodlo, 63, is a seasoned politician who served as a Cabinet minister under both Jacob Zuma and Ramaphosa. An uMkhonto we Sizwe operative with military intelligence training from the Soviet Union, she transitioned into government and eventually held the critical State Security portfolio, with previous stints at the Communications and Public Service & Administration departments. Dlodlo occupied the State Security ministry during the July 2021 civil unrest, before resigning from Parliament in April 2022 to serve as an executive director at the World Bank.