Ryan Keet is a cultural assistant at the Embassy of Japan in South Africa, where he has been on staff since 2010. A member of the first group of five South African JET participants who departed for Japan in 1997, he is especially proud of his role as a pioneer of the programme in South Africa. To date, the initiative has enabled around over 1000 South Africans to spend between one and five years on the JET Programme. 

Ryan spent more than a decade in Japan, including three years on the JET Programme, one year working for Sendai City, and seven years teaching at a private college. His other responsibilities include the MEXT Scholarship Programme and organising cultural events such as Japanese film and cultural festivals.