Trump to attend G20 summit in Joburg - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday reaffirmed the United States’ central role in the G20 group of major economies, announcing that President Donald Trump has agreed to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg later this year.
South Africa will officially hand over the G20 presidency to the US during the summit.
Ramaphosa visited the United States last week to address tensions between the two nations.
The closed White House talks on Wednesday were preceded by a tense meeting, broadcast live, where Trump ambushed Ramaphosa by playing a video that he claimed proved genocide is being committed against white people in South Africa.
“While this was a necessary conversation, the overarching aim of our visit was to deepen our strategic economic partnership with the US as our second-largest trading partner," Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly newsletter.
He emphasised that discussions included exploring expanded trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
Ramaphosa noted that they briefed U.S. officials on South Africa’s ongoing structural reforms to enhance ease of doing business and create a more investor-friendly climate.
“We have extended an invitation to President Trump to send a government and business delegation to South Africa to explore opportunities for deepening investment and trade,” he said.
The U.S. State Department’s most recent Investment Climate Statement described South Africa as an attractive destination for investment, citing its strong financial systems, independent judiciary, manufacturing capabilities, and established legal and capital markets.
Ramaphosa highlighted that the visit also re-established open communication lines between the two nations.
“We are pleased that our visit to Washington established a basis for greater engagement and cooperation. Our two countries have everything to gain from working more closely together.”
He concluded by stressing the need for a united national effort to tackle internal challenges such as crime and unemployment to boost investor confidence.
“We need to work together as government, business, labour and all of society to overcome our domestic challenges, including the high rate of crime, if we are to attract investment that advances economic growth and creates jobs.”
