South African President Cyril Ramaphosa landed in Washington this week with a mission almost as delicate as diplomacy gets: ease mounting tensions with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is making a dramatic return to the international stage ahead of the American elections. Though Ramaphosa has weathered complicated global relationships before, this one might be his most high-stakes balancing act yet.
At issue is a tangled knot of accusations, allegations, and assumptions. Over the past year, U.S.–South Africa relations have grown increasingly tense, especially after senior U.S. officials accused South Africa of leaning too closely toward Russia amid the Ukraine war. A particular point of controversy was a Russian cargo ship that docked in Simon’s Town Naval Base in late 2022, allegedly to receive arms. The South African government denied the claim, but Washington wasn’t fully convinced.
Ramaphosa’s visit, then, isn’t just another polite tour of the Beltway. It’s a calculated diplomatic gambit to reassure the American political elite—especially those orbiting Trump—that South Africa remains a committed global partner and not a geopolitical swing state flirting with Moscow and Beijing.
Speaking at a closed-door think tank roundtable on Thursday, Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa’s long-standing commitment to non-alignment and peaceful diplomacy. “We are a sovereign country that speaks with all sides,” one diplomat quoted him as saying. But critics argue that South Africa’s increasingly warm ties with Russia and China are tipping its traditional balancing act off-kilter.
Trump allies, meanwhile, have been less diplomatic. Several prominent figures in Trump’s circle have openly questioned why the U.S. continues to provide favorable trade terms to a country that they perceive as “playing both sides.” The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free access to U.S. markets for several African nations, including South Africa, has become a point of leverage. Ramaphosa’s team is eager to ensure South Africa doesn’t get cut out of the next renewal.
Behind the scenes, the South African president is deploying a full-court charm offensive. Meetings have been scheduled not just with Biden administration officials, but also with influential Republicans who could sway U.S. foreign policy if Trump regains office. Sources close to the delegation say Ramaphosa is offering to deepen cooperation on energy transition, infrastructure, and even counterterrorism in Southern Africa—an area where South Africa has played a stabilizing role, particularly in Mozambique.
But if diplomacy is about perception, optics matter—and Ramaphosa’s balancing act isn’t easy. At home, his African National Congress (ANC) faces criticism for what some see as a soft-touch approach toward Russia, including hosting Russian naval exercises and attending BRICS summits that occasionally adopt language critical of Western sanctions. These actions have not gone unnoticed in Washington, where even moderate voices are calling for “a review” of South Africa’s strategic orientation.
Still, there are signs that Ramaphosa’s overtures may be working. A joint communiqué issued late Friday suggested that both sides agreed to “expand dialogue and cooperation in key areas,” and there’s talk of a bilateral economic forum being set up to repair trust. One U.S. diplomat, speaking anonymously, said the visit “helped cool the temperature.”
Not everyone is convinced. South Africa’s opposition leaders warn that the government’s diplomatic tightrope may collapse under its own contradictions. “You can’t dance with Putin at lunchtime and toast democracy in D.C. at dinner,” said one MP.
Yet Ramaphosa remains unfazed. In a press briefing before boarding his flight back to Johannesburg, he said South Africa was committed to “diplomacy that serves our national interests, not ideological extremes.” Whether that message lands in Washington—especially if Trump is back in charge next year—remains to be seen. For now, Ramaphosa has bought himself some time, and maybe even a little goodwill. But as the global chessboard shifts, South Africa may soon have to choose whether it wants to remain a neutral player—or get caught between two superpower bishops aiming straight at each other.
