In his first remarks as US ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III emphasises a positive partnership, contrasting with previous criticisms he made about South Africa.

The new US ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, was upbeat about better relations with South Africa in his first public remarks since arriving in the country.

He was markedly more positive than he had been during his confirmation hearings before the US Senate in October, when he focused heavily on President Donald Trump's many grievances against South Africa.

The US embassy in Pretoria conveyed Bozell's first message to South Africa in a "welcome" video that it released a day after Bozell had handed a copy of his letter of credentials to Dirco's acting chief of protocol, Clayson Monyela. Doing so made Bozell's appointment official.

Sitting next to his wife, Norma, Bozell, a conservative commentator and member of one of the US's most famous conservative families, said, "It's an honour of a lifetime to represent the United States as ambassador to the Republic of South Africa.

"My journey has been shaped by a profound love of family and an unwavering belief in America's purpose in the world. Throughout my life, I've believed in the promise of American exceptionalism, not as a slogan, but as a responsibility.

"It is the conviction that when the United States leads with...