Alistair Ruiters, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special adviser for investment promotion, is being tipped to be South Africa’s next ambassador to the US.
South Africa has not had a top diplomat in Washington DC since March, when Ebrahim Rasool was expelled by the Trump administration. This was after remarks at a webinar hosted by the think tank the Mapungubwe Institute, in which he accused the US president of promoting white supremacy.
The Sunday Times understands that Ruiters has been part of South Africa’s trade mission to the US to negotiate a bilateral trade deal and the easing of the 30% tariffs levied on SA exports to the US. These tariffs threaten thousands of jobs in the carmaking industries and citrus farming in South Africa.
SA and the US conducted trade worth more than $26bn in 2024, with US imports valued at $20.5bn while exports amounted to $5.8bn.
The extended delay in naming a replacement for Rasool has frustrated the business sector. One private sector player – who asked not to be named – pointed out that South Africa did not have top envoys in either the US or China, key trading partners who make up almost 50% of the global economy.
“We don’t have an ambassador in Beijing or Washington. We don’t have formal diplomatic channels in the countries that, between them, represent half of the world’s economy. I think that is a failure of leadership,” the business leader said.
We don’t have an ambassador in Beijing or Washington. We don’t have formal diplomatic channels in the countries that, between them, represent half of the world’s economy. I think that is a failure of leadership.
While Ruiters lacks diplomatic experience, his familiarity with Washington is seen as a plus. It’s understood that Ramaphosa does not want to make a mistake with the appointment and wants someone who will be acceptable to the Trump administration.
His chosen special envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas, has been unable to make any diplomatic headway after a video clip emerged shortly after his appointment was announced, in which the former deputy finance minister and chairman of the board of telecoms giant MTN was sharply critical of the US president.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya yesterday said he could not comment on speculation over the US ambassadorial posting. He confirmed, however, that Ruiters had been a key part of bilateral engagements with US trade representatives.
“We have made a lot of progress in the course of our bilateral engagements with the US through a number of engagements we have held, led by the department of trade, industry & competition (DTIC) team, the department of international relations & co-operation (Dirco), and Ruiters.
“By the time the ambassador is appointed, the state of the relationship will have improved, and the conditions on the ground are certainly more conducive for the ambassador to be accredited and begin with the assignment,” he said.
Magwenya dismissed criticism that Ramaphosa was taking too long to decide on Rasool’s replacement. “It has not taken long to appoint the ambassador. There was a lot more work that needed to be done after ambassador Rasool left to create a more conducive atmosphere in the relationship.”
Processes were under way to fill vacancies in all missions, including Beijing.
Chief director for bilateral trade relations at the DTIC, Malose Anthony Letsoalo, has been stationed in Washington to ensure continuous contact during trade discussions.
Relations between South Africa and the US are at an all-time low, with the Trump administration castigating the country over a number of issues, including black economic empowerment laws. Trump has also falsely claimed that the South African government is subjecting white Afrikaans farmers to genocide, and has offered members of that community refugee status in the US.
In May, Ramaphosa and an entourage that included ministers, top government officials and prominent South Africans met with Trump and his team in the White House to try to mend relations.
To clinch a trade deal at lower tariffs, South Africa has considered granting easier market access for US poultry, opening the country to US blueberries, and possibly to imports of US pork, but subject to strict health checks.
Around 35% of SA exports to the US – including copper, platinum, rhodium – remain unaffected by tariffs. But the government is exploring alternative markets for those products that are now subject to the 30% levies, especially citrus and other agricultural goods.
DTIC has established an export support desk and a localisation fund offering financial relief and working capital to local exporters seeking other markets.
Ruiters (61), who was appointed adviser to the president in April, is a career civil servant and businessman who served as DTIC director-general between 2000 and 2005. He was a competition commissioner and served as CEO of the National Empowerment Fund and the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor, before moving to the private sector to join the mining group Afarak in 2009.
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