Ramaphosa lands in Washington to repair South Africa-US ties
Ramaphosa seeks to mend frayed relations with the Trump administration and promote investment opportunities for South African industries, including potential partnerships with companies linked to Elon Musk.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Washington on a high-stakes diplomatic mission to mend frayed relations with the Trump administration and promote investment opportunities for South African industries, including potential partnerships with companies linked to Elon Musk.
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have soured sharply during President Trump's second term.
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Trump has openly criticised South Africa's land reform programme and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice—moves that have drawn the ire of US policymakers.
The diplomatic chill deepened further when Washington expelled South Africa's ambassador, who had only recently presented his credentials at the tail end of the Biden administration.
In February, the US cut bilateral funding to South Africa and subsequently granted refugee status to a group of white South Africans it claims are facing racial discrimination—an assertion firmly rejected by Pretoria.
Against this backdrop, Ramaphosa's scheduled meeting with Trump on Wednesday is seen as a crucial attempt to de-escalate tensions and restore diplomatic normalcy between the two long-time partners.
High on the agenda are trade and investment, particularly South Africa's continued access to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
South African products currently benefit from duty-free access under AGOA, but Trump's protectionist leanings—and recent tariff decisions—have raised concerns about the future of that preferential treatment.
Preserving market access is now a top priority for Pretoria.
Ramaphosa is also expected to lobby for Trump's attendance at the upcoming G20 summit, which South Africa will host later this year—an appearance that would signal a diplomatic reset and reaffirm US engagement with the continent's leading economy.
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