What can President Ramaphosa offer the White House in high-stakes US trade talks?

ON MAY 14, 2025, the Presidency office declared that President Ramaphosa would be travelling to the US for a working visit from May 19 to May 22.

- THABILE NKUNJANA

He is joined by John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture; Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition; Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation; and Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Minister at the Presidency.

This comes after a string of topics that President Trump and his administration have brought up, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, and most recently, the allegations of "persecution" of white farmers that resulted in the migration of 49 Afrikaners to the United States.

To mend the misinformation about South Africa that has caused misconceptions and to re-establish diplomatic relations between Pretoria and the White House, President Ramaphosa recently called Trump, and he is now heading to the US.

What message about agricultural trade should the president convey at the White House now that he is travelling to the US?

Based on trade data, South Africa is more economically dependent on the US than the US is on South Africa. For instance, in 2024, South Africa's total exports to the world were worth R2 trillion, with the U.S. accounting for R150.0 billion or 7%, the second-largest market after China. However, according to trade map data, South Africa only contributed 0.3% or R106.5bn of the R37.8trln in US exports to the world.

Regarding the agricultural industry, South Africa exported R9.8bn worth of agricultural products to the US in 2024, a marginal increase from R9.1bn in2023. This amounts to 4% of the country's overall agricultural exports in 2024.