EXCLUSIVE: The Trump–Ramaphosa meeting | Strategic messaging under pressure

Source: © ReutersConnect ReutersConnect Lebo Madiba managing director PR Powerhouse examines what the Trump–Ramaphosa meeting revealed about strategic messaging under pressure

While it may have appeared to be a standard bilateral meeting, it was in fact a reset moment and a reputational salvage effort that placed South Africa’s messaging strategy under a live stress test.

It was also the first real engagement since South Africa’s ambassador was expelled and declared persona non grata.

Until this point, diplomatic doors were closed.

While many in the policy community expected a broader conversation about investment, energy, and global alignment, I think that the priority was simply to get the door open.

In a country context overinflamed by misinformation, reopening the door begins with controlling the story.

The meeting became a high-stakes test of message discipline in the face of provocation, distortion, and power asymmetry.

What was at stake

Agoa and trade stability

The US is South Africa’s second-largest trade partner, and access to Agoa underpins billions in exports. With AAgoaup for renewal, South Africa’s eligibility hangs in the balance.

Diplomatic restoration

The meeting sought to soften months of rupture, from aid suspension to the expulsion of the ambassador. It was about restoring minimum conditions for engagement.

Narrative sovereignty

Countering the "white genocide" narrative was essential. It has distorted South Africa’s global image and driven real-world policy consequences.

Soft power and the G20

South Africa is set to host the G20 Summit later this year, a critical platform to assert global relevance and showcase African leadership. Trump, an avid golfer, was gifted a book of photographs of South Africa’s top golf courses, a subtle act of soft diplomacy. Whether strategic or serendipitous, he may just attend, if only for the golf.

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Messaging hits

Composure as strategy

President Ramaphosa refused to be baited. The tone was calm, deliberate, and dignified.

Unified messaging

The delegation, spanning business, labour, and opposition, stuck to a simple but firm message: “Yes, we have challenges. No, this is not genocide.”

Deft signalling

The presence of contrasting political and social actors signalled institutional maturity, diversity of thought, and a country confident enough to show complexity.

Symbolic credibility and soft power gaps

The inclusion of golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, reflected smart personalisation, appealing directly to Trump’s known interests. However, soft power was not fully activated, the golfers weren’t used as narrative assets, and cultural diplomacy was not woven into the wider media strategy.

Invitation to re-engage

G20 participation and ministerial tracks were formally reopened, a gesture aimed at re-anchoring South Africa in multilateral relevance.

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Messaging misses

Tourism risk

In the effort to defend national dignity, the message on crime was overstated. It may have bought strategic credibility in Washington, but at a potential cost to inbound travel and perception.

Underused trade assets

The strategic importance of critical minerals could have been more strongly used to anchor the message: “You need what we have".

Absence of high-level continuity

South Africa still has no ambassador in Washington, and its Special Envoy, Mcebisi Jonas, was not part of the official meeting, signalling gaps in diplomatic structure and continuity.

No narrative counterplay

There was little effort to actively reframe South Africa’s geopolitical position or non-alignment posture, missed opportunities in a narrative war zone.

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What happened outside the room matters too

Many of the trade strengths that might have sharpened the in-room message were shared after the meeting, during a post-engagement press briefing.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, outlined key components of a revised trade and investment proposal submitted to the US., including:

• LNG procurement from the US
  
• Equity equivalence mechanisms tailored to multinational investors to address BEE
  
• South Africa’s role as a primary supplier of nine out of 12 critical minerals deemed essential by the US
  
• OEM manufacturing collaboration (including Tesla)

While not discussed in the Oval Office, these points reinforce South Africa’s economic relevance and could shape follow-up diplomacy if managed assertively.

Their omission from the core meeting was a missed opportunity to anchor South Africa’s value to US strategic interests.

Reputation as infrastructure

South Africa didn’t win the room, but it held it, and that in geopolitics matters.

The meeting showed that message discipline under pressure is a strategic asset.

However, to maintain credibility and influence, South Africa must now invest in narrative infrastructure, the systems, skills, and institutions to shape global perception consistently and proactively.

The door has reopened. Now the story must be reclaimed.