A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, agreed upon during a phone conversation this week, is scheduled to take place within the next three months. According to the South African weekly Sunday Times, no exact date has been set yet.
The meeting is expected to occur in the second half of June in Luanda, the Angolan capital, during the U.S.-Africa Business Summit.
“Presidents Ramaphosa and Trump agreed to meet in order to revitalize bilateral relations during their phone call,” said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the South African presidency. “The two presidents maintain a warm and friendly personal relationship,” he added, emphasizing their shared desire to normalize relations between the two countries.
“President Ramaphosa is optimistic that we have begun the process of normalizing our historic and strategic relations with the United States,” Magwenya continued. He also noted that South Africa’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Competition is currently preparing a proposal for a mutually beneficial trade agreement with the U.S.
The phone call between the two leaders took place on April 23. During the conversation, both expressed their willingness to strengthen the already close ties between South Africa and the United States.
Relations between the two countries had become strained following the arrival of the new U.S. administration. On February 7, President Trump signed an executive order ending American aid to Pretoria, citing concerns over alleged racial discrimination against white South Africans and threats of land expropriation.
Trump also instructed his government to facilitate the resettlement of white South African farmers in the U.S. Additionally, he criticized South Africa for filing a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, accusing Tel Aviv of genocide in Gaza. Last month, the U.S. expelled South Africa’s ambassador, accusing him of harboring anti-American sentiment. In response, President Ramaphosa stated that he would seek clarification from U.S. authorities regarding several aspects of Washington’s current South Africa policy.
The U.S.-Africa Business Summit will take place in Luanda from June 22 to June 25, gathering heads of state and government officials from across Africa. The event is organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), a major American business association, in cooperation with the Angolan government.