Anil Sooklal

Anil Sooklal
2023 BRICS Sherpa
High Commissioner of South Africa to India
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 2024
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
Preceded byS'bu Ndebele
Personal details
Born
Durban, South Africa
Alma materUniversity of Durban-Westville
OccupationDiplomat, Academic

Anil Sooklal is a South African diplomat and academic. He currently serves as the High Commissioner of South Africa to India.[1][2] In 2019, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the President of India for contributions in the field of diplomacy, which is the highest honor for overseas Indians.[3][4]

Education

Born into a family of Indian descent, Sooklal's ancestors arrived in South Africa in 1893 as indentured labourers.[5] Sooklal attended the University of Durban-Westville (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal), where he completed a double PhD in Oriental History and Religious Studies.[2][6]

Career

Academia

Sooklal was a lecturer at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and a senior lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.[7] He has published approximately 20 scholarly articles[8] and served as an editor for journal Nidan.[9]

Diplomacy

Sooklal joined the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in 1995. From 2006 to 2012, he served as the South African Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He has also served as South Africa's Sherpa for BRICS, the G20, and the IBSA Dialogue Forum. In June 2024, he was appointed High Commissioner to India, with non-resident accreditation to Bangladesh and Nepal.[2] In June 2026 Sooklal was photographed with uMkhonto weSizwe Party founder and leader, Jacob Zuma at a Hindu temple in Haridwar, northern India, alongside Ajay Gupta who is still a wanted fugitive in South Africa. Sooklal was later recalled in August 2026.[10]

Honors and awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ "India-South Africa ties special, can play vital role in providing leadership on world stage: South African envoy-designate Sooklal". The Indian Express. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Padmanabhan, Keshav (19 July 2024). "Anil Sooklal, South Africa's 1st Indian-origin envoy to New Delhi, to take charge soon". ThePrint. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  3. ↑ "President confers Pravasi Bharatiya awards to 28 overseas Indians and two organizations". INDIA New England News. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Pravasi honour for Gopinath, 29 others". www.manoramayearbook.in. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Tembo, Theolin (11 April 2026). "High Commissioner Anil Sooklal's emotional return to his ancestral home in Ghazipur". IOL. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Sooklal, Anil (1991). "An enquiry into the designation of the Gupta dynasty as the golden age of Hindu religion and culture". University of Durban-Westville.
  7. ↑ ficotech.com. ""Wish to make ties more visible" | India Empire". www.indiaempire.com. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Sooklal, Anil (1991). "A Hindu on Apartheid". International Journal on World Peace. 8 (2): 81–86. ISSN 0742-3640.
  9. ↑ Nayak, Madhurima. "Critical Theory Needs Decolonization and Neo-Vedanta May Hold the Key". Public Humanities. 1: e94. doi:10.1017/pub.2025.43. ISSN 2977-0173.
  10. ↑ https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/08/05/minister-lamola-recalls-sa-high-commissioner-to-india-sooklal-following-zuma-gupta-meeting
  11. ↑ "Russia awards SA Ambassador for role in BRICS initiatives, 'order of friendship'". iol.co.za. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Chetty, Kuben (16 September 2025). "China confers SA's BRICS Ambassador with Honorary Doctorate". IOL. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Ngema, Thobeka (25 August 2022). "SA's High Commissioner in India, Prof Anil Sooklal, honoured for diplomatic excellence in education". Business Report. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
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