South Africa And Bulgaria Relations
History of Mission in Sofia
The Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Bulgaria exchanged Notes in November 1990, to establish Interest Offices in Sofia and Pretoria respectively. In February 1992, the two countries established full diplomatic relations. Bulgaria regards South Africa as its strategic partner in Africa. Between 1992 and 1998, relations between South Africa and Bulgaria were consolidated and further strengthened by several high level visits between the two countries.
With the focus and prioritisation of Africa, as well as financial and human resources constraints, a decision was taken by the South African government to close several missions in Europe and Americas. The Embassy in Sofia was one of the missions earmarked for closure.
However, following consultations between South Africa and Bulgaria, and also in the interests of maintaining diplomatic and consular relations, the Embassy in Sofia was instead scaled down from Ambassadorial level to the level of Charge d'Affaires. The South African Ambassador in Athens was subsequently accredited as non-resident Ambassador to Bulgaria.
The government of the Republic of South Africa upgraded the Embassy in Sofia to Ambassadorial level with the appointment of Ms Sheila Camerer as South African Ambassador to Bulgaria in April 2009.
Heads of Mission in Bulgaria (1992 – 2009)
- Ambassador Alewijn Burger (1992 to 1994)
- Mr Johannes Hamman, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (January to February 1994)
- Mr Theo Albrecht, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (February to June 1994)
- Mrs Francette Coetzee, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (June to October 1994)
- Mr Johannes Joubert, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (Oct 1994 to February 1995)
- Ambassador Timothy Maseko (February 1995 to June 1998)
- Mr Andre Groenewald, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (June 1998 to May 2000)
- Ms Anli von Maltitz, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (May 2000 to May 2004)
- Mr Gerhard Visser, Charge d’Affaires a.i. (May 2004 to December 2006 and Charge d’Affaires en titre from December 2006 to February 2009)
- Mr Thabiso Motau, Charge d’Affaires a.i (March to September 2009)
- Ambassador Sheila M Camerer (arrived in Sofia in April 2009 and presented credentials in September 2009)
Bulgarian Embassy in South Africa
The Bulgarian Embassy in South Africa was established in 1992. In February 1993 Mr Petko Draganov was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He was succeeded in 1997 by Mr Hristo Yordanov, Charge d’Affaires who was Head of Mission until 2002 when Mr Kossio Kitipov presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in November 2002. Ambassador Volodia Neykov succeeded Mr Kossio Kitipov in May 2006.
Chronology of high level visits between South Africa and Bulgaria
South Africa and Bulgaria have exchanged high level visits since 1993, including political principals and business leaders, as follows:
August 1993: South African Minister of Transport visited Bulgaria, and signed the Aviation Agreement. Also in the same year, a South African multi-party parliamentary delegation visited Bulgaria.
June 1995: Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski visited South Africa
November 1995: South African Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Aziz Pahad visited Bulgaria.
1996: Bulgarian Minister of Trade, Mr Atanas Pararizov and delegation visited South Africa.
June/July 1997: Minister of Defence, Mr Joe Modise visited Bulgaria.
1997 and 1998: The Premiers of Provinces of Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape visited Bulgaria in 1997 and 1998 respectively.
1999: A Bulgarian business delegation of 28 companies led by the Bulgarian Industrial Association and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce visited South Africa.
June 1999: Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister, Marin Raikov, visited South Africa to attend the inauguration of President Mbeki.
June 2000: Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad visited Sofia for political consultations and in preparation for the visit of Deputy President Jacob Zuma later in the year.
September 2000: Deputy President Jacob Zuma accompanied by the Minister in the Presidency, the Minister of Social Development, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and the Deputy Minister of Defence, visited Bulgaria.
July 2001: The MEC for Housing, Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Gugile Nkwinti led a delegation from the Eastern Cape Province to Varna District.
August 2001: Deputy Foreign Minister Petko Draganov led the Bulgarian delegation to the WCAR in Durban
May 2002: A Bulgarian multi-party parliamentary delegation visited South Africa.
July 2002: A South African multi-party parliamentary delegation visited Bulgaria.
Aug/Sept 2002: Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov led a high level delegation to the WSSD in Johannesburg.
2004: Deputy Foreign Minister Petko Draganov visited South Africa.
April 2004: Vice President Marin visited South Africa for President Mbeki's inauguration.
December 2004: Vice President Marin invited by Deputy President Jacob Zuma visited South Africa.
December 2005: South African Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang visited Bulgaria.
November 2006: A delegation from the Eastern Cape Provincial Government visited Bulgaria.
November 2007: Chair of the State Agency for Youth and Sport, Vessela Lecheva visited South Africa.
March 2008: Deputy Foreign Minister Feim Chaushev visited South Africa.
April 2008: A delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs visited South Africa.
February 2009: Ministerial Political Consultations between Ministers of Foreign Affairs: Dr Nkosazana C. Dlamini Zuma and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ivailo Kalfin in South Africa.
Agreements signed
South Africa and Bulgaria have signed a number of Agreements in various sectors/fields since 1993.
Trade relations and Tourism between South Africa and Bulgaria
Trade and economic cooperation between South Africa and Bulgaria is anchored by the Trade Agreement and the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation. There has been contact at the level of individual businesses and the respective chambers of commerce, as well as contact by local government bodies from the two countries. In 2003 Bulgaria joined the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme applied in the international trade for rough diamonds.
Major export products from South Africa to Bulgaria include wool, citrus fruits, magnetic and optical readers, car parts, insecticides, granite. Major export products from Bulgaria to South Africa include fruits (processed), carbonates, raw/unprocessed tobaccos, white metal ores, anise seeds, generators and internal combustion engines.
Both South Africa and Bulgaria may be utilised not only as individual trade partners between themselves, but also as doorways to their respective regions.
There is a steady stream of Bulgarian tourists to South Africa, often to visit their families in the Bulgarian community which number approximately 30 000.
For trade figures visit the following websites:
Department of Trade and Industry - www.thedti.gov.za
South African Revenue Services - www.sars.gov.za
Statistics South Africa - www.statssa.gov.za
For Tourism visit the following websites:
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - www.deat.gov.za
South African Tourism - www.southafrica.net
Tourism Indaba - www.indaba-southafrica.co.za
Cultural relations between South Africa and Bulgaria
Many South Africans have received their higher education in Bulgaria and some of them hold important positions in South Africa. In 2001 a group of professors from the Johannesburg International Relations Institute visited Bulgaria to establish contacts with Bulgarian universities.
Some of the cultural activities that have taken place include:
1994: Santam Exhibition was widely popular in Bulgaria, some 500 children sent their works to the South African Embassy in Sofia. Out of a total of 132 works awarded in South Africa, 7 belonged to Bulgarian children.
1995: 1200 children sent works to the South African Embassy to participate in the SANTAM exhibition. 8 works were awarded.
1996: Bulgarian painter Borislav Prangov portrayed South Africa in his paintings and the Embassy successfully hosted exhibitions with his work.
1996: Bulgarian children’s works addressed to the South African Embassy reached the total of 1700. 14 works were awarded.
August 1996: Mitchell's School Choir visited and performed successfully in Bulgaria.
September 1996: Tswelelang Adult Choir visited and performed in Bulgaria
1997: An exhibition was put up by guest sculptor Vezhdi Rashidov and his son.
1997: The South African Wire Toys Exhibition in Bulgaria, which became very popular.
August 1997: Tsekane Adult Choir also visited and performed successfully in Bulgaria.
1998: The Woodhouse as well as the Rock and Stone Exhibition were held with the Bushmen Art Exhibition in the Gallery for the Land and the People during the South Africa Week. Also the South African Book Exhibition as well as Ndebele Art Exhibition held in the Bulgarian National Library. More than 100 South African books were exhibited together with their summaries and profiles of the writers and translated into Bulgarian.
1998: South African dance group “Black Dickies” toured Bulgaria and were enormously successful.
1998 and 1999: The Bulgarian Embassy in Pretoria put up exhibitions of Bulgarian icons, sculptures and photographs.
2003: Chakaryan Piano Trio from South Africa performed in Bulgaria. Their trip was financed by the South African National Arts Council on request of the South African Embassy.
2003: Bulgarian folk artists performed at the Bulgarian National Day in South Africa.
2004: The South Africa Week saw the Sibikwa Marimba Band performing in various concerts in Sofia and Varna. South African Chef Jeffrey Siew demonstrated his culinary talent in the Radisson SAS Hotel during the same period. Also, various South African artefacts provided by George Gionis, importer from Cyprus, were on display.
2004: Photographer Julian Angelov, financed by the South African Embassy returned from South Africa with a beautiful collection of photographs which have toured the major cities of Bulgaria.
August 2007 and 2007: A South African ensemble participated in the International Varna folk festival.
Other activities include Bulgarian cultural events organised in South Africa by Bulgarian artists, sculptors and designers permanently living in South Africa. Bulgarian photographer Alexander Mitev lent his collection of more than 2000 photos on different South African topics to the Embassy, which in turn hosted several photo exhibitions. An Exhibition titled “Faces of South Africa” consisting of posters depicting the various South African ethnic groups has also toured major cities of Bulgaria (Varna, Veliko, Tarnovo, Kazanlak, Plovdiv, and Bourgas). Numerous wine tastings have been organised aimed at promoting South African wines in Bulgaria.
For more on Culture visit the following website:
Department of Arts and Culture South Africa - www.dac.gov.za