 |
The Embassy of South Africa |
Contact
Address
Embassy of South Africa in Berlin
Tiergartenstrasse 18
D-10785 Berlin
Phone Number
49-30-22073-0
Website
www.suedafrika.org
E-Mail
berlin.admin@dirco.gov.za
The Ambassador
Amb. Andries Oosthuizen
Minister Plenipotentiary & Chargé d´Affaires a.i.
Andries Oosthuizen is currently serving as Minister Plenipotentiary & Chargé d´Affaires a.i. at the South African Embassy, in Berlin. He is a South African diplomat with more than 30 years of diplomatic experience. Born in Bloemfontein South Africa, he joined the diplomatic service in 1992, after which he served in Tunis (Tunisia), New York (South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations) and Stockholm (Sweden), before joining the South African Embassy in Berlin on 2 October 2024. His career spanned both bilateral and multilateral streams, as well as serving in the Diplomatic Academy of the South African Foreign Ministry, where he was responsible for the training of South African diplomats destined to serve abroad. He holds a master’s in political science from the University of Pretoria.
History
In 1914 South Africa entered World War I on behalf of the British Empire, against the German Empire. South Africa subsequently conquered German South-West Africa and occupied it until the independence of Namibia in 1990. Once again, during World War II, South Africa fought against Nazi Germany, siding with the Allies. Since the end of apartheid, relations between the two countries have improved steadily. The German-South African Binational Commission has provided a framework for bilateral cooperation since 1996. Nowadays, South Africa is Germany's largest trading partner in Africa.
The South African Embassy was inaugurated in November 2003 and is located in Tiergartenstraße 18, 10785 Berlin. The building is four stories high and was the first South African Embassy building to be built following the end of apartheid in 1994. The Embassy is designed to embody a modern South Africa with an efficient administrative system, while at the same time reflecting the diverse traditions of the country.
