Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, accompanied by South African businessman Johann Rupert and golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
The meeting is highly anticipated and expected to be intense, with some speculation that Ramaphosa might face a tough encounter similar to the viral Zelensky-Trump clash.
Ramaphosa expressed optimism about having “really good” and positive discussions focused on improving trade, jobs, and relations between South Africa and the US.
He also plans to clarify South Africa’s foreign policy on key geopolitical issues, including Israel and Ukraine, emphasising a rational and South Africa-first approach.
“We are going to have an opportunity to discuss geopolitical issues, not only Israel, but also Ukraine. So all these matters will be on the table for proper discussion, and we are very rational when it comes to discussing global and geopolitical matters.
We will also use the working visit to clarify South Africa’s policy positions on a range of pressing geopolitical matters. pic.twitter.com/cLXBcxvzaF
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? (@CyrilRamaphosa) May 20, 2025
“We will put South Africa’s interests first, and our own foreign policy positions will be well clarified. So fear not,” Ramaphosa said.
Johann Rupert, South Africa’s richest man, helped facilitate the meeting, while Ernie Els played a key role in convincing Trump to agree to it, reported News24.
Both Rupert and Els are in Washington and actively involved in arranging the talks.
“Ernie Els was actually the person who, over the past month, talked Trump into agreeing to the meeting,” said Rupert.
Elon Musk, despite his South African ties, will not attend, The Citizen reported.
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Source: AFP
