South Africa: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that his country had successfully rekindled diplomatic ties with the United States following his meeting with Donald Trump.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (pictured) indicated on May 27, 2025, during a question and answer session at Parliament in Cape Town, that his country had successfully rekindled diplomatic ties with the United States following his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House the previous week.

“The issue of relations between South Africa and the United States has been a concern for many in our country, and many have expressed concerns about the deterioration of these relations, recognizing the important role our two countries play in each other’s economies, in addition to our various political and diplomatic relationships. We understand that the impact on our country’s economy will be negative unless we succeed in repairing or resetting the relationship between our two countries,” the President said.

The Head of State specified that the purpose of this trip was to engage with the American administration on import taxes, investment, and other related issues. He also wished to encourage Donald Trump to attend the G20 summit that South Africa will host, while also encouraging American investment in his country, as well as the establishment of South African companies in the United States.

The two countries maintain cooperation in areas such as health (particularly with the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS program), security, education, the environment, and trade, supported by academic and scientific partnerships. However, since January 2025, bilateral relations have deteriorated significantly. The culprit was a controversial decree allowing white Afrikaners to seek asylum in the United States, which sparked outrage in Pretoria, followed by the imposition of a 30% tax on South African products and the suspension of American aid.

However, according to President Ramaphosa, discussions regarding tariffs and investment have already begun.

According to the International Trade Centre, trade between the two countries reached $20.7 billion in 2024.