19th March 2014
Cape Town, South Africa
Guest blog by the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to South Africa Baroness Patricia Scotland As the UK celebrated the extraordinary life of former South Africa President Nelson Mandela with a vibrant service in Westminster Abbey I travelled to a very rainy Johannesburg to begin the latest series of engagements in my role as Prime Minister’s […]
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7th February 2014
Pretoria, South Africa
South Africa is never dull but this last week and the week to follow will test both the physical and mental stamina of the UK Family here. We kicked off on Wednesday with a youth engagement event at the High Commission to encourage support and interest in next week’s International Conference in London against Illegal […]
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15th December 2013
Chennai, India
It’s been clear for a while that Mandela’s life was drawing inexorably to a gentle and dignified close. But it’s sad nonetheless. I can’t pretend that I ever met him, although I stood about 2 yards way when he visited the FCO. But he influenced my life massively. I knew little about the horror of […]
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9th October 2013
Cape Town, South Africa
10 October is World Day against the Death Penalty. Since 2003, people all over the world have, on this day, been making clear their opposition to this form of punishment. Like many people who live in countries which, like South Africa and the UK, have abolished the death penalty, I don’t actually think about it that often.
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9th August 2013
Cape Town, South Africa
Guest blog, written by Sarah Dunn, Head of DfID Southern Africa. On National Women’s Day, I’m reminded of how many women leaders I have as colleagues, including the British High Commissioner, Dame Nicola Brewer and her successor Judith MacGregor. In a recent meeting with South African colleagues, our counterpart commented on how “empowered” our delegation […]
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30th July 2013
Cape Town, South Africa
David Edmondson works at the British Consulate General Cape Town building commercial relationships in The Cape and supporting UK companies across South Africa in the Food and Drink, Agribusiness, Tourism and Leisure and Marine sectors. His colleagues in Cape Town focus on the Design and Creative sectors and they are part of a large UK […]
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18th July 2013
Cape Town, South Africa
A blog by Nick Monkhouse, British High Commission Pretoria. Today, 18 July 2013, is Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday. It is also Nelson Mandela Day, recognised by the UN and around the world as a day which seeks to inspire people to take action to help change the world for the better. As South Africa and […]
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14th June 2013
Cape Town, South Africa
The G8 There are just a few days left before world leaders convene in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, on 17-18 June for the G8 Summit. It makes me recall my first job in the Foreign Office – G8 Desk Officer for our 2005 Presidency. Talk about the deep end – just eight months after starting, […]
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25th January 2013
Cape Town, South Africa
Guest Blog from Suzanne Carter, Climate Change Officer Many UK staff take a secondment into another government department over the course of their careers as civil servants but is there a way to replicate this exposure (on a smaller scale) for Locally Engaged Staff? My line manger thought it was at least worth a try! […]
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26th November 2012
Cape Town, South Africa
I have just returned from a visit to South Africa’s Eastern Cape – one of the three provinces we cover from the Consulate-General in Cape Town (the Western and Northern Capes are the other two provinces). As well as Port Elizabeth and East London, I visited the rural towns of Craddock, Bedford and Graaf-Reinet, talking […]
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