South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has described his White House visit on Wednesday as a “great success,” despite a tense exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump over unsubstantiated claims of “genocide” against white South African farmers. In remarks to reporters after the meeting, Ramaphosa emphasized that the primary goal of the visit was to re-establish diplomatic ties, expand trade and investment discussions, and reaffirm South Africa’s strategic partnership with the United States.
“We’ve been able to achieve what we set out to achieve,” Ramaphosa said. “We came to reset relations and put investment and trade back on the table.” The meeting was overshadowed by Trump’s insistence on confronting Ramaphosa with debunked allegations that white Afrikaner farmers were being systematically killed in South Africa. Trump claimed people were fleeing the country, and at one point, dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a radical South African politician singing an anti-apartheid song that included inflammatory lyrics.
Ramaphosa dismissed the genocide claims, saying the video misrepresented South Africa’s political context, and noted that Afrikaners serve in his administration, including the agriculture ministry. “There’s doubt and disbelief in his head about the so-called genocide,” Ramaphosa remarked, attempting to downplay Trump’s rhetoric. Following the Oval Office confrontation, the two leaders continued discussions over lunch, where topics reportedly included bilateral trade, infrastructure investment, and even golf diplomacy.
Ramaphosa also signaled his intent to move past political distractions, describing the visit as a necessary step toward repairing relations that had been strained by Trump’s past remarks and U.S. policies on immigration and aid. “You wanted to see drama… I’m sorry we disappointed you somewhat,” he joked to reporters. The meeting comes amid broader efforts by South Africa to strengthen ties with both the U.S. and BRICS partners, and navigate a neutral foreign policy stance on polarizing global issues such as Ukraine and Israel-Palestine, which have further complicated its relationship with Washington.
