Thabo Thage

Thabo Thage served as South Africa’s ambassador to Chile before moving to Bulgaria. At his farewell in June 2019, Chile’s foreign ministry noted eighteen months of service and cooperation discussions involving mining, science, astronomy, Antarctica, and the environment. It also highlighted the Nelson Mandela scholarship programme and announced his departure at the end of June for the Bulgarian posting. ¹

In Bulgaria, Thage pursued economic and educational links. At a May 2022 meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova, he discussed shipbuilding, technical support, and alternative maritime export routes amid the war in Ukraine. He identified Varna and Burgas as strategically important ports and reported South African students’ interest in Bulgarian medical and engineering courses. The meeting also considered a business forum and high level visits to mark thirty years of diplomatic relations. ⁵

Thage was appointed minister plenipotentiary and deputy head of the Washington embassy in 2026. Reports of the appointment described a possible acting role during the ambassadorial vacancy. By October, DIRCO’s directory listed him as minister plenipotentiary and chargé d’affaires ad interim alongside Ambassador Roelf Meyer. ^{2, 3, 4}