Overview

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Washington with a delegation that includes Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, ahead of a May 21 meeting with President Donald Trump.
• The visit follows months of U.S. actions against South Africa, including aid cuts, increased tariffs, and the granting of refugee status to white South Africans, which Pretoria has denounced as politically motivated.
• Ramaphosa plans to propose trade deals, including preferential tariffs for Tesla and licensing for Elon Musk’s Starlink, in an effort to reset U.S.–South Africa relations.
• The South African president has firmly denied allegations of genocide against white farmers and aims to challenge misinformation during talks with Trump.
• Key points of contention include South Africa’s Expropriation Act, its affirmative action policies, and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.