- Ramaphosa has drawn praise for keeping calm as Trump confronted him with allegations of a ‘genocide’ against white Afrikaners
- South African analysts say Ramaphosa’s approach helped boost the country’s diplomatic standing, particularly with its current G20 presidency and desire for strong trade ties with Washington
JOHANNESBURG
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is the latest world leader to face what many are describing as an “ambush” in the Oval Office, being placed on the defensive by President Donald Trump as he raised controversial claims about the persecution and killings of white Afrikaner farmers.
However, unlike the last person subjected to the same treatment – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – Ramaphosa has drawn praise from South Africans for staying calm and successfully navigating Wednesday’s tense encounter.
His trip to Washington came at a time when US-South Africa relations are at an unprecedented low, following the Trump administration’s repeated accusations of “unjust racial discrimination” against Afrikaners and its February decision slashing aid to the African nation.
Washington also expelled South Africa’s ambassador in March and has launched a program to bring Afrikaners to the US as refugees, with the first group landing in the US earlier this month.
Ramaphosa’s meeting with Trump was seen as a chance for a reset, but the US president went for the kind of combative approach that has played well with his base.
Surrounded by television cameras and reporters, Trump confronted Ramaphosa with widely discredited accusations of a “genocide” against white Afrikaner farmers, saying they were being targeted, killed, and persecuted in South Africa, leading many to seek refuge in the US.
“We have thousands trying to come to the US because they fear they will be killed,” he said.
Ramaphosa calmly denied the allegations, stating there was no systematic persecution, murder, or confiscation of land targeting white farmers. He suggested Trump speak directly with white Afrikaner ministers and businesspeople within the South African delegation for a more accurate picture.
Seeking to substantiate his claims, Trump asked for the room lights to be dimmed and then played a provocative video of Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), chanting slogans promoting violence against white farmers.
Trump further displayed newspaper clippings depicting killings of white farmers, but Ramaphosa remained composed and non-confrontational.
In response, Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa’s vibrant multiparty democracy and noted that the EFF was a minor party.
Regarding Trump’s questions about South Africa’s land expropriation bill, Ramaphosa clarified the policy allows expropriation without compensation only if deemed “just, equitable, and in the public interest,” adding the US itself maintains similar laws.
Ramaphosa’s diplomatic composure praised
Speaking to South African reporters after the meeting, Ramaphosa said: “I believe that our visit has been a great success. We’ve been able to achieve what we set out to achieve.”
He explained that the main objective of his trip was to reset bilateral relations that had recently soured over various disagreements, notably South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Political analysts have praised Ramaphosa’s calm demeanor during Trump’s provocative approach, noting it benefited South Africa’s diplomatic standing, especially given its presidency of the G20 this year.
“President Ramaphosa playing safe was not a bad idea,” Bongiwe Mphahlele, a South African foreign policy expert, told Anadolu.
“We must remember that South Africa holds the G20 presidency … The G20 theme is solidarity, inclusion, and equity, so he had to play the bigger person, because the aim is to unite and bring the US back to the table.”
Mphahlele emphasized that Ramaphosa’s restraint prevented a potential diplomatic fallout that might have harmed South Africa’s standing, especially as the country prepares to hand over the G20 presidency to the US in November 2025.
Trade and economics
Following their private meeting, Ramaphosa himself confirmed that the G20 summit was a topic of discussion, along with trade, investment, and even golf.
The South African president said he expects Trump to seriously consider attending: “I want to hand over the presidency of the G20 to President Trump in November. I don’t want to hand it to an empty chair.”
On the major takeaway from the meeting, he said: “There is no disengagement – that was the key outcome that we had wanted.”
Ramaphosa added that he conveyed South Africa’s desire for increased US investment to sustain jobs created by American companies in the country.
The US is South Africa’s second-biggest bilateral trading partner after China. Total trade between South Africa and the US stood at $20.5 billion in 2024, according to the US Trade Representative’s Office.
US exports to South Africa were $5.8 billion, down 18.3% from 2023, while its imports were $14.7 billion, up 4.9% from the previous year.
South African exports to the US are mostly precious metals, motor vehicles and parts, iron and steel, and aluminium products. The overall US goods trade deficit with South Africa was $8.8 billion in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023. This trade deficit was among the reasons cited by the Trump administration as it slapped a 31% reciprocal tariff on South Africa, currently on a 90-day pause.
ICJ genocide case against Israel not discussed
Ramaphosa clarified the ICJ case against Israel was not mentioned during the bilateral meeting, although many analysts believe it is a major factor behind the recent bilateral tensions.
Andre Duvenhage, a politics professor at North-West University in South Africa, explained the tensions resulting from the case: “The ICJ case against Israel went against the trend of American politics. As a result, Trump and some senior officials made strong statements against South Africa, bringing their relations to a low point not seen since 1994.”
Duvenhage emphasized the importance of maintaining robust US-South Africa relations given economic realities.
“American markets are critical for the South African economy that’s only growing at around 1% for the past decade, with an unemployment rate of more than 34%,” he said.
“In some of the corridors of power, there are rumors that the South African government may bend their radical transformation rules, like the Black Economic Empowerment, to accommodate Elon Musk, and maybe other American initiatives, as a gesture of goodwill to accommodate the Trump administration,” Duvenhage added.
Foreign policy positions unlikely to shift dramatically
Despite these economic considerations, analysts are doubtful South Africa will significantly shift its positions on major foreign policy issues, including Palestine and Iran.
“The South Africans have stated their positions pretty clearly, as the Americans have stated theirs as well,” former US diplomat Brooks Spector told Anadolu.
He pointed to the recent positive US engagements with Iran as a sign of possible convergence between the two countries on certain issues.
“If the two countries have separately increased their complementary positions on Iran, that takes one problematic issue off the table,” said Spector, who served in various diplomatic positions in Africa and East Asia.
On the US’ policies regarding white Afrikaners, Spector said this was “more of a domestic issue in the US.”
“It’s playing to Trump’s supporters rather than a major international question. We are not talking about thousands of people,” he said.
Similarly, foreign policy expert Mphahlele was skeptical about any major South African policy shifts.
“I don’t see South Africa changing their position on the ICJ case,” she asserted.
“Remember South Africa’s connection with Palestine, and that of its the largest party, the African National Congress, will not change,” she said, noting the historic nature of their stance.