Alice Jacobs
Biography
Alice Jacobs has been the interim Deputy British High Commissioner to South Africa since July 2026. A career diplomat of 25 years, previously Alice led the Conflict and Atrocity Prevention Department in FCDO London.
Prior to this, Alice served in the UK Mission to the UN in New York as Counsellor Political and Peacebuilding (2020-23), including leading the UK’s UN Security Council work on Africa, Peacekeeping, Women Peace and Security, Conflict Prevention and Climate security. Alice was seconded to the UN Development Programme and UN Peacebuilding Support Office in 2019-20.
Alice has served before in the British High Commission, Pretoria, as Head of Political and Foreign Policy and non-resident Deputy High Commissioner to Lesotho (2015-19). Earlier roles include Head of European defence and security policy (2013-15); Assistant Private Secretary to the former Foreign Secretary David Miliband (2007-8) and Second Secretary in the British Embassy Bogotá, Colombia (2005-7). Other roles in London include Counter Terrorism, Strategic Finance, Western Balkans, and Irish bilateral affairs.
An international politics graduate from Edinburgh University and Trinity College Dublin, Alice worked in public affairs consultancy before joining FCDO in 2001. Originally from Suffolk, UK, she is married with two teenage children.