South African Diplomacy under pressure: Can Ramaphosa fix South Africa-U.S. relations amid the “White Genocide” controversy?

Introduction

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office in Washington on 21 May 2025 amid heightened diplomatic tensions between both countries. Ramaphosa, leading a high-profile delegation, aimed to reset ties, focusing on economic cooperation with the United States. Ahead of the meeting, there were concerns that the meeting could escalate into a heated media spectacle, as seen between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2025. The meeting took a somewhat unexpected turn as Tump confronted President Ramaphosa by playing a video of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema chanting “Kill the Boer”. Trump used the footage to press Ramaphosa on alleged white farmer deaths, framing them as a “genocide” and demanding action.

Background and “White Genocide” Controversy

Diplomatic ties between South Africa and the United States have deteriorated since Trump’s return to office in January 2025. Trump and officials in his administration, including his advisor and South Africa-born Elon Musk, have repeatedly alleged a “white genocide” linked to South Africa’s Expropriation Act. The Act was signed into law in January 2025 to address historical land inequalities. Kallie Kriel, AfriForum CEO, claimed that the act, combined with the African National Congress’s (ANC) refusal to condemn the “Kill the Boer” chant, fuels perceptions of targeting Afrikaners.

The phrase “Kill the Boer”, rooted in anti-apartheid struggle songs, emerged in the 1980s and has been used by Malema’s EFF to rally support for radical land reform. “Boer”, meaning farmer in Afrikaans, refers to Afrikaners who are descendants of Dutch settlers and historically dominated land ownership. In 2022, the Johannesburg High Court ruled the phrase isn’t hate speech, framing it as political expression.

Trump has accused the South African government of discriminating against white farmers. In 2023, Musk said Ramaphosa’s government was silent against those “openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa”. Musk also claimed that his Starlink satellite company could not operate in the country because he is not Black. His claim was firmly rejected by the South African government.

In February 2025, the U.S. president announced the suspension of critical aid worth US$440 million to South Africa and offered to allow members of the Afrikaner community, who are mostly white, to settle in the U.S. as refugees. 59 Afrikaners were granted refugee status, citing alleged racial persecution in South Africa. Most Afrikaner communities, including groups like Solidarity, have distanced themselves from the resettlement. Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa's ambassador to Washington, was also expelled in March after accusing Trump of "mobilising a supremacism". Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African goods on "Liberation Day" before suspending it for 90 days. The Trump administration also decided to boycott the G20 meetings hosted by South Africa. Similarly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio snubbed the foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg in February. The Trump administration has also repeatedly called for South Africa to reconsider its foreign policy positions, especially its legal actions against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and its growing ties with China and Iran.

The Oval Office Encounter

Trump displayed a stack of printed copies of articles that he said showed white South Africans who had been killed, saying "death, death" as he flipped through them, eventually handing them to Ramaphosa. However, most of the information that Trump used to try to prove that “white genocide” is happening in South Africa has repeatedly been disproven by fact-checkers. Nevertheless, Ramaphosa came prepared, armed with a delegation including Democratic Alliance (DA) leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, billionaire Johann Rupert, and renowned golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Ramaphosa encouraged Trump to listen to other members of his delegation, which was a strategic move. Rupert, South Africa’s wealthiest man, dismissed the genocide narrative, saying, “We have too many deaths, but it’s across the board, not only white farmers.” Ramaphosa, an experienced diplomat who once served as Nelson Mandela’s chief negotiator during talks to end White minority rule, calmly countered Trump’s claims, stressing that “There is no genocide in South Africa. Crime affects all South Africans, not just white farmers, and is driven by poverty and unemployment.” At one point, he said, “If there was an Afrikaner genocide, these gentlemen wouldn’t be here,” he said, gesturing to Rupert, Steenhuisen, and others. Despite internal frictions between the Government of National Unity (GNU), both Steenhuisen and Ramaphosa presented a united front in the Oval Office. “The reason that my part, the DA, which has been in opposition for over 30 years, chose to join hands with Mr Ramaphosa’s party was precisely to keep those people out of power,” he told Trump, referring to Malema.

Domestic Reactions and Way Forward

Many South African media outlets, as well as many social media users, praised Ramaphosa for remaining calm throughout what's widely being called the ambush by Trump. The EFF, a fierce critic of the ANC, condemned the delegation’s composition, particularly Rupert’s inclusion, saying, “The dominance of white male voices proves the EFF’s point that this delegation sought to assure Trump that South Africa’s transformation agenda can be compromised.”

In addition to restoring diplomatic ties, Ramaphosa’s main mission was to secure the continuation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). AGOA is a U.S. trade program that provides duty-free access to American markets for 32 African countries, including South Africa. The United States is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ramaphosa confirmed that AGOA was a central topic in his closed-door discussions with Trump. He described the discussion with U.S. officials, including the Secretary of Commerce and South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Parks Tau, as “a very, very positive indication.” However, he noted that “details will be ironed out during those engagements.” Nevertheless, the state visit concluded with no trade deal. Despite the confrontation, Trump didn’t rule out attending the G20 summit that Ramaphosa is due to host in Johannesburg, which appears to be a positive sign. Ramaphosa said he expected Trump to attend the summit in November.