Overview

• On the UN General Assembly sidelines, Cyril Ramaphosa met Amazon, Google and Cisco and engaged U.S. business groups to reinforce investment in South Africa.
• He urged policymakers and executives to back an immediate renewal of AGOA, which is due to lapse at the end of September.
• He cautioned that reciprocal tariff measures, including reported 30% U.S. duties imposed in August, are unsettling firms and interrupting cross‑border logistics.
• He said negotiations with Washington have advanced to an exchange‑of‑texts stage, with his team optimistic about securing a mutually beneficial outcome.
• He welcomed a new US Trade and Investment Forum, with an inaugural session planned in South Africa next year, and promoted collaboration in green energy, digital innovation and healthcare.