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The Embassy of South Africa in Vienna |
Contact
Address
Sandgasse 33, 1190 Wien
Phone Number
(+43 / 1) 320 64 93
Website
https://dirco.gov.za/vienna
The Ambassador
Amb. Rapulane Sydney Molekane
Ambassador Rapulane Sydney Molekane is the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the international organisations based in Vienna. He was born on 7 May 1961 in Soweto, South Africa, and holds a Senior Teacher’s Diploma from Soweto College of Education. He also completed diplomatic training and a management programme at the Foreign Service Institute of the South African Department of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Molekane has a long career in public service, diplomacy and political leadership. Before his diplomatic career, he was actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement, serving in leadership positions within organisations including the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the South African Youth Congress (SAYCO). Following South Africa’s democratic transition, he served as a Member of Parliament (1994–1999), where he chaired the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee. Within South Africa’s diplomatic service, he held several senior positions, including South African High Commissioner to Ghana (2004–2008), Director for Levant and Middle East Affairs, Deputy Director-General for Europe at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and Ambassador to France and Monaco and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO (2014–2019). Since his appointment to Vienna, he has also served as Governor of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
History
Austria and South Africa maintain friendly and cooperative bilateral relations, which developed significantly after South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994. Since then, relations have expanded across political dialogue, trade, investment, science, education, culture and multilateral cooperation. Austria supported South Africa’s democratic transition and has since engaged with the country as an important partner in Africa.
Economic cooperation remains a central pillar of the relationship, with Austria and South Africa maintaining trade and investment links in areas including technology, infrastructure, energy and sustainable development. The two countries also cooperate closely within international organisations based in Vienna, particularly on issues related to nuclear energy, industrial development, crime prevention and sustainable development. Cultural and academic exchanges, as well as cooperation between institutions and civil society organisations, further contribute to the broader people-to-people relationship. Overall, Austria–South Africa relations are characterised by strong political dialogue, economic cooperation and shared engagement in multilateral affairs.
