Kingsley Makhubela

Mr Kingsley Makhubela was appointed Director-General in 1994. He holds a Master’s degree in Diplomacy from the University of Pretoria. From 1978 he was active in the student movement and was elected as chairperson of the former Transvaal region of the Congress of South African Students. He served as a personal aide to President Nelson Mandela before being appointed as deputy chief representative of the ANC observer mission to the United Nations. In government, he has served as chief of State protocol and as deputy director-general in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Mr Makhubela’s professional career also includes serving as High Commissioner to Kenya, as permanent representative to the United Nations Environmental Programme, and as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Portugal.

He served as a commissioner to Expo ‘98 before becoming its vice president, and was also Presidential special envoy for Somalia. Mr Makhubela was awarded the Grade of the Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique by the President of Portugal.