South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet US counterpart Donald Trump in Washington next week at a time of strained ties between the two countries, Pretoria said in a statement released late on Wednesday.
“On Wednesday, 21 May 2025, President Ramaphosa will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of interest,” Ramaphosa’s office said.
The visit “provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries”, it said.
The US administration has torn into various South African policies, including its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and a land expropriation law meant to redress historical inequalities that Washington alleges will allow the government to seize white-owned land.
Trump essentially halted refugee arrivals after taking office but is making an exception for the Afrikaners – mainly descendants of Dutch settlers to South Africa – despite Pretoria’s insistence that they do not face persecution in their homeland.
