The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made what they called "undiplomatic" comments about an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who started in the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant Kill The Boer. Some say the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.
A formal protest was issued - known as a demarche - by the government, which said it took Bozell's comments "with a very dim view".
He issued a clarification on Wednesday and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
