🗓🇿🇦January 28 marks the birthday of Mzuvukile Maqetuka (1952) —
writer, diplomat, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (2021–2025).
📘 In 2024, his novel Jim Is Tired of Jo’burgwas translated into Russian for the first time and published in Yekaterinburg — a milestone we’re proud to share.
Your dedicated service to your country and outstanding leadership inspire not only me personally, but also my team and many others.
May this day be filled with joyful moments. Wishing you robust health and prosperity for many years to come.
Sergey Mazurkevich
Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#Translation#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich
🗓🇿🇦January 28 marks the birthday of Mzuvukile Maqetuka (1952) —
writer, diplomat, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (2021–2025).
📘 In 2024, his novel Jim Is Tired of Jo’burgwas translated into Russian for the first time and published in Yekaterinburg — a milestone we’re proud to share.
Your dedicated service to your country and outstanding leadership inspire not only me personally, but also my team and many others.
May this day be filled with joyful moments. Wishing you robust health and prosperity for many years to come.
Sergey Mazurkevich
Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#Translation#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich
📝The Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, Mr. Sergey Mazurkevich, signed letters of appreciation, which were personally handed to colleagues by the staff of the Honorary Consul's office.
🗓 In 2024–2025, Dr. Dmitry Pobedash, Associate Professor at the Department of Linguistics and Professional Communication in Foreign Languages at Ural Federal University (UrFU), translated a book by writer and diplomat Mzuvukile Maqetuka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (2021–2025). He also took part in a number of events dedicated to South Africa 🇿🇦
🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦Key initiatives implemented within this cooperation include:
— 🇿🇦📘 In 2024, Dr. Pobedash translated Jim Is Tired of Jo'burg. This was the first Russian translation of a book by M.Maqetuka. The Russian edition («Джим устал от Йобурга») was published in Yekaterinburg the same year.
— 🤝 Together with the Office of the Honorary Consul, Dmitry Pobedash contributed to several presentations of the book:
• at the Krasnaya Stroka (Red Line) book festival — first introducing translated chapters (2024)
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1340,
and later the published edition (2025)
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2492;
• at the Sverdlovsk Regional Library
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1633.
— 🌍 Dmitry Pobedash also visited South Africa. He shares his experience with his students and encourages them to learn more about the country, follow the Honorary Consulate’s Telegram channel, and explore other materials about South Africa.
🤝 Dear Dr. Pobedash,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism, active cooperation, and contribution to the development of Russia–South Africa relations in 2024–2025.
With respect and looking forward to continuing our cooperation,
Honorary Consul
of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
Sergey Mazurkevich
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#UrFU#Diplomacy#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich#Culture#Translation#InternationalCooperation
The staff of the Honorary Consul's office delivered a presentation on the Republic of South Africa to 5th–7th grade students at Yekaterinburg-based School No. 212. 🇿🇦
Following the event, we explored future opportunities for collaboration with the school's Education Coordinator, Svetlana Novitskaya. 🌍
#Education#Yekaterinburg#SouthAfrica#InternationalCooperation#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich
The staff of the Honorary Consul's office delivered a presentation on the Republic of South Africa to 8th–10th grade students at School No. 212.
Following the presentation, we discussed future opportunities for collaboration with the school's Education Coordinator, Svetlana Novitskaya. 🇿🇦
#Education#Yekaterinburg#SouthAfrica#InternationalCooperation#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich
📝The Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, Sergey Mazurkevich, signed letters of appreciation, which the office of the Honorary Consul personally handed to colleagues.
🗓In 2025, Svetlana Novitskaya, Deputy Principal for International Cooperation at Gymnasium No. 212, organized a series of events dedicated to the Republic of South Africa.
🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦Key initiatives implemented within this cooperation include:
— 🇿🇦Presentations by the Honorary Consul’s Office on South Africa:
• for grades 5–7
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2070
• for grades 8–10 of the gymnasium
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1989
— 🇿🇦 A presentation for ninth-graders by a travel agent specializing in trips to South Africa
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2556
— 🇿🇦 On International Translation Day, the Honorary Consul’s Office spoke to students in grades 9–11 about the translation of the book Jim Is Tired of Jo’burg by writer and former Ambassador of South Africa to Russia, Mzuvukile Maqetuka
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2556
— 🇿🇦Meetings with South African citizens living and working in Yekaterinburg:
• Claude Booysen
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2594
• and Samora Poswa
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2682
✨ It is worth noting that Svetlana Novitskaya is developing the “BRICS+ Countries” project at the gymnasium, which introduces students to the organization’s member states.
🤝 Dear Ms. Novitskaya,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism, active cooperation, and contribution to the development of Russia–South Africa relations in 2025.
With respect and looking forward to continuing our cooperation,
Honorary Consul
of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
Sergey Mazurkevich
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#Diplomacy#HonoraryConsul#InternationalCooperation#Mazurkevich
📝The Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, Sergey Mazurkevich, signed letters of appreciation, which the office of the Honorary Consul personally handed to colleagues.
🗓 In 2023–2025, the company Solovyov’s Vinoteka (wine shop) organized a series of events dedicated to the Republic of South Africa and provided ongoing support for initiatives of the Honorary Consul’s office.
🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦Key initiatives implemented within this cooperation include:
— 🇿🇦Presentation of South African wines at the opening of the office of the Honorary Consul of South Africa
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/258
— 🇿🇦 The office of the Honorary Consul of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, together with Solovyov’s Vinoteka, held a South African wine tasting as part of the ceremonial reception of the Eurasian Economic Forum of Youth
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/939
— 🇿🇦Event South Africa: New Horizons for Tourism and Business
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2895
— 🎁 Throughout the entire period of cooperation, the company also assisted in preparing gifts for the diplomatic corps and other contacts of the Honorary Consul’s office
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/647
🤝Special thanks go to Yekaterina Yakimova, sommelier and head of Solovyov’s Vinoteka, and Yevgeny Kushev, company sommelier (📸 photo).
🤝 Dear Yekaterina and Yevgeny,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism, active cooperation, and contribution to the development of Russia–South Africa relations in 2023-2025.
With respect and looking forward to continuing our cooperation,
Honorary Consul
of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
Sergey Mazurkevich
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#Diplomacy#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich#InternationalCooperation
🌍📚 Ahead of International Translation Day, the Office of the Honorary Consul of South Africa in Yekaterinburg held a meeting with students from the Department of Foreign Languages at Ural Federal University, dedicated to translation issues.
📖 We talked about the translation of Mzuvukile Maqetuka’s book Jim is Tired of Jo’burg, as well as the challenges of the translator’s craft. Students asked many insightful questions.
🤝 After the event, we explored potential joint projects with the head of the department, Dr. Aleksandra Kovalyova.
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#Translation#UrFU#Education#Diplomacy
📚 Following an invitation from the Sverdlovsk Regional Library, on Saturday, April 26, the staff of the South African Honorary Consul’s Office in Yekaterinburg hosted a discussion dedicated to translation, as part of the nationwide BiblioNight event.
Among other topics, we explored the Russian editions of works by South African writers — John Coetzee, Mzuvukile Maqetuka, and Trevor Noah. 🇿🇦
📖 Translation acts as a bridge that enriches and connects cultures.
#Education#Yekaterinburg#SouthAfrica#Translation#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich#CulturalDialogue#InternationalCooperation#BiblioNight2025#Literature
🌍📚The Office of the Honorary Consul of South Africa in Yekaterinburg took part in the international conference Linguistics, Translation, and Intercultural Communication, organized by the Institute of International Relations (Yekaterinburg).
Using the work of the Honorary Consulate as an example, we discussed with students and faculty the key issues of translation, bilingual copywriting, and intercultural communication.
🤝 After the event, we held a constructive discussion with the Institute’s Rector, Dr. Irina Vylegzhanina, on potential areas of future cooperation.
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#Translation#InterculturalCommunication#Education
📝The Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, Mr. Sergey Mazurkevich, signed letters of appreciation, which were personally handed to colleagues by the staff of the Honorary Consul's office.
🗓 In 2025, Dr. Anna Dedyukhina, Associate Professor at the Chair of Foreign Languages, Ural Federal University, was instrumental in fostering Russian–South African cooperation in education and the humanities.
🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦Key initiatives implemented within this cooperation include:
— 🇿🇦Meeting with UrFU students
Dr. Dedyukhina organized a meeting between the Office of the Honorary Consul of South Africa in Yekaterinburg and students of the Chair of Foreign Languages at Ural Federal University, focusing on current issues in translation.
The discussion addressed the Russian translation of the book by Mzuvukile Maqetuka, Jim Is Tired of Jo’burg.
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2606
— 🇿🇦🎓Student academic research projects
For the first time in the consular district, Dr. Dedyukhina initiated student academic research projects—including articles, term papers, and dissertations—based on works by South African authors as well as social media content related to South Africa.
🤝 Dear Dr. Dedyukhina,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism, active cooperation, and contribution to the development of Russia–South Africa relations in 2024–2025.
With respect and looking forward to continuing our cooperation,
Honorary Consul
of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
Sergey Mazurkevich
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#UrFU#Diplomacy#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich#InternationalCooperation
📝The Honorary Consul of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, Sergey Mazurkevich, signed letters of appreciation, which were personally delivered to colleagues by the staff of the Honorary Consul’s office.
🗓 In 2024–2025, South African English teacher Samora “Sam” Buzwe Poswa actively participated in events dedicated to South Africa.
🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦Key initiatives implemented within this cooperation include:
— 🇿🇦🎓Sam conducted a series of presentations about South Africa for English learners:
• At local language schools:
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1438
• At Gymnasium No. 13, Yekaterinburg (together with the Honorary Consul’s office)
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1489
• At Ural State Forestry Engineering University (USFEU)
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1575
• At the Institute of International Relations (IIR)
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1893
• At Gymnasium No. 212
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2682
— 🇿🇦🗣Participated as an English-language speaker at the interpreting contest for law students at Ural State Law University (USLU)
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2080
— Contributed to the development of the Honorary Consul’s Telegram channel by providing useful comments and photos.
🤝 Dear Samora Buzwe Poswa,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism, active cooperation, and contribution to the development of Russia–South Africa relations in 2024–2025.
With respect and looking forward to continuing our cooperation,
Honorary Consul
of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
Sergey Mazurkevich
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#USLU#Diplomacy#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich#InternationalCooperation
📝The Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa in Yekaterinburg, Mr. Sergey Mazurkevich, signed letters of appreciation, which were personally handed to colleagues by the staff of the Honorary Consul's office.
🗓 In 2024–2025, Dr. Yelena Kagan, Associate Professor at the Department of Russian, Foreign Languages, and Speech Culture at Ural State Law University (USLU), invited the Office of the Honorary Consul of South Africa on multiple occasions to deliver presentations and also organized or co-organized other events.
🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦 Key initiatives implemented within this cooperation include:
— 🇿🇦 Conference Language. Speech. Personality
At Dr. Kagan's invitation, the Honorary Consul’s Office staff delivered a talk on the language situation in South Africa.
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1580
— 🇿🇦🎓Beyond the Visible: Light and Shadow of AI in Translation
Dr. Kagan organized a roundtable where the office staff shared their experience using artificial intelligence to manage the Honorary Consul’s social media with faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates.
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/1933
— 🇿🇦South Africa: From Apartheid to the Post-Apartheid Constitution, and the Role of Honorary Consuls
At Dr. Kagan’s invitation, the Honorary Consul’s Office conducted a presentation for law students.
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2837
— ⚖️🎓 Crime and Punishment: Interpreting Contest
Dr. Kagan co-organizes annual interpreting contests for law students. Those vibrant contests featured English-language guests from South Africa, Samora Poswa and Luyanda Simamane. 🇿🇦
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/990
— 📘🌍 Guidebook for African university students
Dr.Kagan is part of the working group preparing a multilingual guidebook that provides guidance on the rights and responsibilities of international students in Russia and helps them avoid mistakes and administrative penalties.
🔗https://t.me/sarconsulurals/2616
🤝 Dear Dr. Kagan,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism, active cooperation, and contribution to the development of Russia–South Africa relations in 2024–2025.
With respect and looking forward to continuing our cooperation,
Honorary Consul
of the Republic of South Africa
in Yekaterinburg
Sergey Mazurkevich
#SouthAfrica#Yekaterinburg#USLU#Diplomacy#HonoraryConsul#Mazurkevich#InternationalCooperation