The U.S. Senate has approved the appointment of Leo Brent Bozell as the new United States ambassador to South Africa, a move expected to further complicate relations between Washington and Pretoria in 2026 amid ongoing political and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
The appointment comes at a sensitive time and has sparked widespread controversy in political and diplomatic circles in South Africa and beyond, given the new ambassador’s political and ideological background.
President Donald Trump nominated Bozell in March. He is known for his affiliation with the right-wing conservative movement and for his strong pro-Israel positions. Controversy also surrounds his past activism in the 1980s, when he was involved in a lobbying group that opposed negotiations with the African National Congress (ANC).
Bozell’s appointment followed a legislative process that included a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in October, before receiving final confirmation in a vote held on Wednesday, January 31.
The development comes at a time of a notable diplomatic vacuum between the two countries, as South Africa has been without an ambassador to Washington since March, following the recall of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool to Pretoria over statements in which he accused U.S. policy of being based on “white supremacy.”
The appointment is widely seen as another indicator of deteriorating bilateral relations, which have faced mounting tensions in recent months. Since February 2025, the Trump administration has suspended U.S. aid to South Africa, accusing the Pretoria government of mistreating the white minority following the passage of a controversial land expropriation law.
In this context, Bozell has stated his intention to pressure South African authorities to withdraw a related legal case, further raising concerns about the future of relations between the two countries. Tensions were also exacerbated by the United States’ refusal to participate in the G20 summit held in Johannesburg last November, as well as its decision to exclude South Africa from the list of countries invited to the upcoming G20 summit scheduled to take place in the United States.
In Pretoria, the appointment was met with clear reservations. Researchers and observers described Bozell as having “limited experience in international relations” and being “unfamiliar with African affairs,” arguing that the decisive factor behind his appointment was ideological alignment with the U.S. president rather than diplomatic experience or in-depth knowledge of South Africa and the region.