South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit Washington, D.C., next week for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Scheduled for May 21, the talks will take place at the White House and focus on bilateral, regional, and global matters, according to a late-night statement from Ramaphosa’s office on Wednesday.
Officials described the visit as an opportunity to “reset the strategic relationship” between the two nations, which has become increasingly strained.
Tensions escalated after Trump’s return to office in January, prompting him to suspend all U.S. financial aid to South Africa.
The U.S. cited concerns over South Africa’s land reform programme and its legal challenge at the International Court of Justice against Israel, a key U.S. ally.
In a provocative move this week, the Trump administration granted refugee status to 49 white South Africans, citing racial discrimination.
South African authorities have rejected the claim, insisting there is no evidence of systemic persecution against white citizens.
President Ramaphosa responded firmly, stating the U.S. has “got the wrong end of the stick” regarding internal affairs.
Despite the tensions, economic ties remain strong—America is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner, following China.
Both leaders now face the challenge of navigating political discord while preserving critical economic cooperation.
