Ramaphosa vs Trump: Here’s what you need to know

As the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump looms, the Presidency said it will be difficult for the US administration to “sustain” its claims of a genocide against Afrikaners or white farmers in South Africa.

The stage is set for the anticipated heated and robust meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump, expected to take place at the White House on Wednesday.

Roasting Ramaphosa?

There is speculation about how the meeting will go, with fears Ramaphosa is walking into a “Zelensky-style ambush”, referring to the viral clash that took place when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House in February which was broadcast live on television.

The Government Communication and Information Services is not sure if the meeting will be broadcast live.

“We will share the link on our group if it goes live. If not live we will share recordings on the same group as soon as we can.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘SA is out of control,’ Trump says ahead of meeting with Ramaphosa

‘Apprehension’

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the president is not “apprehensive” about the meeting with Trump.

“He’s looking forward to it, he’s highly enthused, and we’re looking forward to a very successful meeting aimed at resetting the relationship between South Africa and the United States. He’s not apprehensive at all.

“We don’t think President Trump invited President Ramaphosa for that kind of treatment. President Ramaphosa is not President Zelensky. He’s got his own style of engaging. He’s got his own style of communicating, and so we cannot attribute that event to what may or may not happen tomorrow.”

Agenda

Ramaphosa arrived in Washington on Monday afternoon with his delegation for a working visit to the US amid tensions between the two countries.

While the Presidency did not share an agenda for the talks, it said the purpose of the visit is to “reset and revitalise bilateral relations between South Africa and the US”.

“In this regard, the visit will focus specifically on reframing bilateral, economic and commercial relations.”

Transactional Trump

Trump is a transactional president and may want some concessions from South Africa when he meets Ramaphosa

“President Trump approaches diplomacy and engages in a very transactional manner, with economics as the foundation and driving force behind international affairs,” retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the president’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, explained at an event in Washington this past week.

For Trump, it’s about leverage, not friendship; dollars as much as values; and hard power versus soft.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa not ‘apprehensive’ about meeting with Trump, Presidency says [VIDEO]

SA refugees

The visit comes just days after the US welcomed a group of 49 Afrikaners as “refugees”. Trump falsely claims they are being persecuted in South Africa due to their race and are facing a “genocide”.

Magwenya said the Americans will have to “come clean” about the political process of resettling Afrikaners under the guise of refugees.

“As a government, we cannot prevent people from leaving, but we will express our displeasure at people who leave under false pretences and people who leave under the guise of things that are not happening in our country.

“It’s going to be difficult for the Trump administration to sustain this so-called genocide in South Africa, it’s going to be very difficult, and the burden of proof is ultimately on the US to substantiate those claims,” Magwenya told 702.

Other issues

Ramaphosa and Trump are also expected to discuss several other issues, including members of the US administration snubbing the G20 meetings, aid cuts, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and possibly the expulsion of former South African ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool.

In February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a social media post on X, said he “will not” attend a summit of the grouping to protest the South African government’s controversial land seizure bill.

“I will not attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality & sustainability’. In other words diversity, equity and inclusion.

“My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”

Relations between the US and South Africa hit an all-time low after Trump cut financial aid to South Africa, citing Pretoria taking Israel to the International Court of Justice and “strengthening ties with Iran, which supports terrorism globally”.

It is believed that these two issues will also be on the agenda. Tensions between the two countries were further heightened following Rasool’s recent remarks on Trump.

Rasool was expelled by Rubio after he claimed in a webinar that Trump (and, later, Elon Musk) are leading a global white supremacist movement.

ALSO READ: US secretary Marco Rubio will not attend G20 summit because SA ‘is doing very bad things’

US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act

Ramaphosa may also discuss the US Congressman and Republican Ronny Jackson introducing the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, providing tools to impose sanctions on “corrupt South African government officials” who support America’s adversaries like China, Russia and Iran, among others.

Jackson introduced the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which would mandate a full review of the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa.

This is a follow-up of legislation that passed the House of Representatives in the last Congress but was not taken up by the Democratic-led Senate. Republicans now control both Houses.

Jackson said Representative John James is co-leading the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act legislation.

“South Africa has brazenly abandoned its relationship with the United States to align with China, Russia, Iran and terrorist organisations, a betrayal that demands serious consequences,” said Jackson.

“This legislation ensures we conduct a comprehensive review of this supposed ‘ally’ while also holding accountable any corrupt officials. The era of governments undermining American interests without repercussions ends now.”

Starlink

Ramaphosa also plans to discuss business opportunities for Musk’s companies, especially Starlink.

Asked about licensing for Musk’s satellite company, Starlink, Magwenya said: “Certainly, the issue will be discussed.”

Musk, who is South African-born, has previously claimed Starlink was barred from operating in South Africa because he is not black, an allegation South African officials refuted.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa said in March that Starlink had not applied for a licence.

Face-off

The decision for Ramaphosa and Trump to meet face to face was clinched when the two presidents spoke in a phone call ahead of the state visit to South Africa by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. He cut short his visit immediately after meeting Ramaphosa due to a Russian air strike on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

In the phone call, Ramaphosa said he had spoken to Trump.

“President Trump and I also agreed to meet soon to address this and various matters regarding relations between South Africa and the United States. We both spoke about the need to foster good relations between our two countries.”

This will be the first face-to-face meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump since the latter’s election as US president. It will also be the first time Trump has hosted an African leader at the White House since he took office in January.

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