Qatar–South Africa relations Qatar–South Africa relations Qatar – South Africa relations are the bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of South Africa. Formal relations began on 10 May 1994, the same day that Nelson Mandela was sworn in as President of South Africa. Qatar opened an embassy in the suburb of Brooklyn in Pretoria in January 2003. South Africa's embassy in Doha was established in September 2002. President Nelson Mandela made his first visit to Qatar in April 1995. The first Qatari head of state to visit South Africa was Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who did so in May
Cricket in South Africa (who was the first black cricketer to play for South Africa), Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma. Today, cricket is the second most popular sport in South Africa, and is the only sport in the country to feature in the top 2 sports of all race groups. This has had both successes – Herschelle Gibbs, a Cape Coloured, is one of the sport's most dominating batsmen and the black bowler Makhaya Ntini reached number 2 in the ICC Player Rankings in 2006 – and unintended side effects. Kevin Pietersen, who is white and was born to a