South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to Washington, D.C., next week for a four-day working visit starting May 19, culminating in a high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 21.
The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues including bilateral relations, regional stability, and global policy concerns.
The meeting comes at a tense moment in U.S.-South Africa relations, particularly following the Trump administration’s controversial move to resettle Afrikaner “refugees” from South Africa, citing claims of racial discrimination. On Monday, the U.S. received its first group of 59 Afrikaners as part of this new initiative, which the State Department described as aligned with Trump’s broader policy to protect “victims of racial discrimination.”
Trump’s February 7 executive order directed U.S. authorities to begin resettling Afrikaners—white South Africans of primarily Dutch, German, and French ancestry—describing them as “victims of unjust racial discrimination.” The order has sparked strong reactions internationally, given the Afrikaners’ historical association with apartheid, South Africa’s former system of institutionalized racial segregation that ended in 1994.
The White House move has further strained relations with Pretoria. In the same executive order, Trump also slashed U.S. aid to South Africa, citing concerns about its land reform policies, South Africa’s support for the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and growing ties with Iran.
President Ramaphosa’s office has not directly addressed the Afrikaner resettlement issue in its public statements but confirmed that he will raise “critical concerns” during his Washington visit. Analysts expect the talks to be delicate, as Ramaphosa seeks to defend his government’s domestic policies while trying to maintain a functional diplomatic relationship with Washington.
The outcome of the May 21 meeting could signal the future direction of U.S.-South Africa relations, with potential implications for trade, security cooperation, and human rights diplomacy.