President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Donald Trump of the United States have agreed to work together to strengthen trade and investment relations between their two countries.
The agreement followed a closed-door meeting at the White House on Wednesday, which the South African presidency described as a “successful” step toward improving bilateral relations.
According to a statement issued by the South African presidency on Thursday, both leaders committed to enhancing trade ties, encouraging mutual investment, and collaborating on technological advancements.
“President Ramaphosa welcomed the expected commencement of trade talks between South Africa and the United States through their respective trade negotiations teams,” the statement said. “The visit focused on addressing issues that have been a source of diplomatic tensions over the recent months and reframing bilateral economic and trade relations.”
The visit came at a critical time, as South Africa seeks to ease concerns over recent U.S. tariff threats.
In April, President Trump announced a 31% tariff on certain South African imports, a move that was later paused for 90 days.
South African industries have warned that if implemented, the tariffs could lead to significant job losses.
The U.S. is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner after China, and Ramaphosa has made protecting and expanding that relationship a key priority.
However, the tone of the visit was overshadowed by a tense public encounter earlier in the day.
During a televised meeting, President Trump played a video that he claimed showed white South Africans being targeted in a genocide.
The video, widely criticized for containing false and misleading information, was intended to support Trump’s earlier offer to provide refuge to white South African farmers. The South African government has firmly rejected those claims.
Despite global restrictions on asylum seekers, the U.S. recently granted refugee status to more than 50 white Afrikaners, raising concerns about the administration’s immigration priorities.
Tensions between the two countries have been escalating since Trump began his second term.
His administration has cut foreign aid to South Africa, expelled Pretoria’s ambassador over comments critical of the “Make America Great Again” movement, and opposed South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Trump has also criticized a South African land reform bill, inaccurately claiming it would allow the seizure of white-owned farms without compensation.
President Ramaphosa was accompanied on the U.S. visit by four senior ministers, including Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, who also leads the Democratic Alliance.
Joining the delegation were professional golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and South African billionaire Johann Rupert.
President Trump welcomed their presence and requested their views on the situation in South Africa.
Following the meeting, President Ramaphosa said he remains hopeful that President Trump will attend the G20 summit hosted by South Africa in November.
In a sign of improving relations, South Africa is expected to offer a licensing deal to Elon Musk, Trump’s South African-born ally, to roll out his Starlink satellite internet service in the country.
Musk has previously criticized South Africa’s empowerment laws as discriminatory, arguing they’ve delayed
