This page contains relevant information for all South African embassies and consulates abroad.
Finding South African Embassies and Consulates Abroad
In total, there are 103 South African embassies abroad. Furthermore, South Africa also maintains high commissions, consulates, and three other representations abroad.
To learn more about a specific embassy of South Africa abroad, simply click on the corresponding link in the table below.
South African Missions Abroad
| Country | Type of Mission | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Embassy | Algiers Embassy |
| Angola | Embassy | Luanda Embassy |
| Argentina | Embassy | Buenos Aires Embassy |
| Austria | Embassy | Vienna Embassy |
| Australia | High Commission | Canberra High Commission |
| Belgium | Embassy | Brussels Embassy |
| Benin | Embassy | Cotonou Embassy |
| Botswana | High Commission | Gaborone High Commission |
| Brazil | Embassy | Brasilia Embassy |
| Bulgaria | Embassy | Sofia Embassy |
| Burkina Faso | Embassy | Ouagadougou Embassy |
| Burundi | Embassy | Bujumbura Embassy |
| Cameroon | High Commission | Yaounde High Commission |
| Canada | High Commission | Ottawa High Commission |
| Central African Republic | Embassy | Bangui Embassy |
| Chad | Embassy | N'Djamena Embassy |
| Chile | Embassy | Santiago Embassy |
| China | Embassy | Beijing Embassy |
| Comoros | Embassy | Moroni Embassy |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Embassy | Kinshasa Embassy |
| Republic of Congo | Embassy | Brazzaville Embassy |
| Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | Embassy | Abidjan Embassy |
| Cuba | Embassy | Havana Embassy |
| Czech Republic | Embassy | Prague Embassy |
| Denmark | Embassy | Copenhagen Embassy |
| Egypt | Embassy | Cairo Embassy |
| Equatorial Guinea | Embassy | Malabo Embassy |
| Eritrea | Embassy | Asmara Embassy |
| Eswatini | High Commission | Eswatini High Commission |
| Ethiopia | Embassy | Addis Ababa Embassy |
| France | Embassy | Paris Embassy |
| Gabon | Embassy | Libreville Embassy |
| Germany | Embassy | Berlin Embassy |
| Ghana | High Commission | Accra High Commission |
| Greece | Embassy | Athens Embassy |
| Guinea | Embassy | Conakry Embassy |
| Guinea-Bissau | Embassy | Bissau Embassy |
| Hungary | Embassy | Budapest Embassy |
| India | High Commission | New Delhi High Commission |
| Indonesia | Embassy | Jakarta Embassy |
| Iran | Embassy | Tehran Embassy |
| Ireland | Embassy | Dublin Embassy |
| Israel | Embassy | Tel Aviv Embassy |
| Italy | Embassy | Rome Embassy |
| Jamaica | High Commission | Kingston High Commission |
| Japan | Embassy | Tokyo Embassy |
| Jordan | Embassy | Amman Embassy |
| Kazakhstan | Embassy | Nur-Sultan Embassy |
| Kenya | High Commission | Nairobi High Commission |
| Korea (Republic) | Embassy | Seoul Embassy |
| Kuwait | Embassy | Kuwait City Embassy |
| Lesotho | High Commission | Maseru High Commission |
| Liberia | Embassy | Monrovia Embassy |
| Madagascar | Embassy | Antananarivo Embassy |
| Malawi | High Commission | Lilongwe High Commission |
| Malaysia | High Commission | Kuala Lumpur High Commission |
| Mali | Embassy | Bamako Embassy |
| Mauritania | Embassy | Nouakchott Embassy |
| Mauritius | High Commission | Port Louis High Commission |
| Mexico | Embassy | Mexico City Embassy |
| Morocco | Embassy | Rabat Embassy |
| Mozambique | High Commission | Maputo High Commission |
| Namibia | High Commission | Windhoek High Commission |
| Netherlands | Embassy | The Hague Embassy |
| New Zealand | High Commission | Wellington High Commission |
| Niger | Embassy | Niamey Embassy |
| Nigeria | High Commission | Abuja High Commission |
| Norway | Embassy | Oslo Embassy |
| Pakistan | High Commission | Islamabad High Commission |
| Philippines | Embassy | Manila Embassy |
| Poland | Embassy | Warsaw Embassy |
| Portugal | Embassy | Lisbon Embassy |
| Qatar | Embassy | Doha Embassy |
| Russia | Embassy | Moscow Embassy |
| Rwanda | High Commission | Kigali High Commission |
| Sri Lanka | High Commission | Colombo High Commission |
| Singapore | High Commission | Singapore High Commission |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Embassy | Sao Tome Embassy |
| Saudi Arabia | Embassy | Riyadh Embassy |
| Senegal | Embassy | Dakar Embassy |
| South Sudan | Embassy | Juba Embassy |
| Spain | Embassy | Madrid Embassy |
| Sudan | Embassy | Dakar Embassy |
| Sweden | Embassy | Stockholm Embassy |
| Switzerland | Embassy | Berne Embassy |
| Syria | Embassy | Damascus Embassy |
| Tanzania | High Commission | Dar-es-Salaam High Commission |
| Thailand | Embassy | Bangkok Embassy |
| Tunisia | Embassy | Damascus Embassy |
| Turkey | Embassy | Ankara Embassy |
| Uganda | High Commission | Kampala High Commission |
| United Kingdom | High Commission | London High Commission |
| Zambia | High Commission | Lusaka High Commission |
| Ukraine | Embassy | Kyiv Embassy |
| United Arab Emirates | Embassy | Abu Dhabi Embassy |
| United States of America | Embassy | Washington Embassy |
| Venezuela | Embassy | Caracas Embassy |
| Vietnam | Embassy | Hanoi Embassy |
| Zimbabwe | Embassy | Harare Embassy |
What happens when there is no SA Embassy or High Commission in the country you are visiting?
There are instances where you won’t find a High Commission, Consulate-General, or Embassy of South Africa in the country you are visiting. In most instances, other countries are accredited to provide consular and civic services to these countries without embassies and high commissions. In the table below, you can search for the country in question to see which country’s embassy or mission is accredited to provide civic or consular services.
Embassies and High Commissions accredited to other countries
The following countries, however, have no South African representation:
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Fiji
- Holy See (The Vatican)
- Peru
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Vanuatu
What is the difference between an Embassy, Consulate, and High Commission?
Although it might not seem like there is a big difference between them, embassies, consulates, and high commissions are not one in the same thing.
An embassy is the base of a country’s diplomatic missions in a foreign country. This is where all political, cultural, and societal relationships between the states are dealt with. A country’s ambassador is stationed at the embassy, and each country may only have one embassy per foreign country.
In Commonwealth countries, embassies are known as High Commissions, and the ambassadors are called High Commissioners.
A consulate is the office of consular services, which is why embassies generally have a consular section. While a country, for example, South Africa, only has one embassy in each foreign country, there might be multiple South African consulates in the United States.
What is the role of an embassy or consulate?
Embassies and consulates assist their national citizens in foreign countries. They might assist with visa and passport applications as well as document legalisation services. Embassies and consulates can also assist their national citizens with obtaining emergency travel documents in the event that a passport is lost.
You can contact your embassy if you have fallen ill abroad or if you’ve been a victim of a serious crime. They can assist with referring you to local lawyers and healthcare professionals and provide advice on international fund transfers.
Embassies are not allowed to assist their national citizens with remuneration, crime investigations, or legal processes. They also cannot interfere with local healthcare protocols and practices.
