What to Expect from President Cyril Ramaphosa's Meeting with Donald Trump

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is in the United States for a working visit. He will meet with President Donald Trump later today. This meeting takes place during a period of strained relations between the two countries, marked by Trump’s decision tohalt all financial aid to South Africa andthe expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s former ambassador to the U.S.

Last week, dozens of white South Africans werewelcomed into the U.S. as refugees, a culmination of a campaign by Trump, stating that the South African government is implementing policies that are unfair to its white minority population. Despite his allegations beingfounded on gross misinformation about a land expropriation law, the Trump administration has been unrelenting in its antagonistic stance towards Ramaphosa.

Ahead of the meeting, the South African presidency stated that Ramaphosa will discuss “bilateral, regional, and global issues of interest” with Trump, hoping to recalibrate the relationship between the two countries. However, it isn’t expected to be an easy conversation. Earlier this year, the worldwitnessed Trump and his Vice President, JD Vance, vilify Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a discussion about the Ukraine-Russia war and the bid for peace.

Ramaphosa’s visit likely won’t be as heated, but the Trump administration’s stance makes it difficult to envision a cordial meeting. However, the South African government is already laying the groundwork for a smooth, favorable outcome. According to Business Insider, the SA government is looking to offer Elon Muska special exemption from the country’s Black ownership requirements to enable Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, to operate in South Africa.

South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment laws require 30 percent Black ownership for big companies to operate in the country. The SA government will offer an “Equity Equivalent” alternative to skip that requirement, enabling Musk’s company to work. It’s a workaround that could satisfy Musk, the South African-born billionaire and close Trump affiliate who has alsoaccused Ramaphosa’s government of reverse racism.

Earlier this week, ProPublicapublished an investigative piece alleging that the Trump administration has been throwing its weight around to ensure Gambia gives Starlink a license to operate within its borders, with the U.S. threatening to cut financial aid to the West African country. Perhaps, a smoothing over of the Starlink situation could help ease discussions on Wednesday.

The headline item is expected to be the alleged – and already debunked – persecution of South Africa’s white population. Last week, Ramaphosa called those who arrived in the U.S.“cowards,” a statement that Trump will likely challenge.

Fringe groups in South Africa have protested the land expropriation law and theproposed BELA bill as examples that white people in the rainbow nation are being unfairly targeted, while the government is doing little to stop crimes against white farmers. However, many in South Africa, including white South Africans, have debunked claims that there’s a genocide aimed at Afrikaners and other white people.

“I really hope that during the upcoming visit to Washington, [President Ramaphosa] is going to be able to put the facts before his counterpart and to demonstrate that there is no mass expropriation of land taking place in South Africa, and there is no genocide taking place,” Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisentold TheAssociated Press. Steenhuisen is part of the contingent accompanying Ramaphosa to the U.S.; the DA is South Africa’s second-largest political party and themajority partner in the Government of National Unity.

In addition to specific financial aid cuts, the Trump administration’ssweeping cuts to aid that assists healthcare across Africa seriously affect South Africans. The meeting could address this situation. Also to be addressed are thepaused tariffs; a 30 percent tariff was placed on goods coming into the U.S. from South Africa, with an additional 25 percent put on South African-made vehicles.

Although the tariffs are suspended for 90 days – from April 9 – Ramaphosa has said these charges will be a barrier to global trade, and he’ll likely be lobbying for the tariffs to be removed or significantly reduced, should they later come into effect.