News - South Africa, Pretoria, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Embassy joined the Bulgarian community in South Africa in celebrating the 118th Anniversary of Bulgaria’s Independence. The celebrations featured a programme performed by pupils of the Sluncho Bulgarian Sunday School, followed by lively traditional Bulgarian folk dances performed by the dance ensemble Bulgarian Rose. Members of the Bulgarian community and representatives of the Embassy joined in the dancing.

The event also provided an opportunity for the Bulgarian community to warmly bid farewell to Ambassador Maria Tzotzorkova as she concluded her tenure in South Africa. Ambassador Tzotzorkova expressed her gratitude for the friendship and close ties she had enjoyed with the Bulgarian community throughout her term. She highlighted several achievements of the Embassy, including the introduction of visa-free short-term travel to South Africa for Bulgarian citizens, the launch of online Bulgarian language classes by the Sluncho Sunday School for children from Bulgarian communities in neighbouring countries, and the completion of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Midrand.

Ambassador Tzotzorkova also emphasised the excellent cooperation with the Association of Bulgarians in South Africa and the implementation of numerous joint initiatives, including celebrations of Bulgarian national holidays. She expressed confidence that the active Bulgarian community would continue to contribute to preserving the Bulgarian language and national identity in South Africa, as well as to further strengthening the ties between the two friendly nations.