Cyril Ramaphosa drags SA golf stars to Donald Trump meeting

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In a move blending sportsmanship with diplomacy, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to include South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in his delegation to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

The unusual strategy, reported by South African media, aims to leverage Trump’s well-known passion for golf to soften tensions and help “reset” strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.

‘Genocide’

The meeting comes amid US allegations of a so-called white “genocide” in South Africa, a claim widely dismissed by South African officials.

The US recently cut aid to South Africa and granted asylum to 49 white South African refugees, citing racial persecution.

South African officials and business leaders are also deeply concerned about the potential expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in September, which currently provides duty-free access to the US market for key South African exports like citrus, nuts, and vehicles.

“The trade relations are the most important, that’s what brought us here. We want to come out of the United States with a really good trade deal,” said Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking to South African reporters in Washington.

‘Central role’

According to Johann Rupert, South Africa’s richest man and founder of luxury goods giant Richemont, Ernie Els played a central role in persuading Trump to agree to the high-stakes Oval Office meeting.

“Ernie Els was actually the person who, over the past month, talked Trump into agreeing to the meeting,” Rupert said.

Rupert, who has known Trump since 1996 and has golfed with him and Els at Mar-a-Lago, will also be part of the delegation.

He confirmed that he and Els met Trump in March 2024, before his re-election, to lobby for the continuation of AGOA.

The delegation’s composition and tone are designed to counter Trump’s claims while demonstrating that white South Africans are not being persecuted, as alleged.

Figures like Rupert, Els, Goosen, and Elon Musk – all of Afrikaner heritage – are globally successful and have long distanced themselves from the narrative of victimisation.

Meanwhile, reports also suggest South Africa may offer Musk a Starlink deal, though President Cyril Ramaphosa has declined to comment.

Musk has previously criticised South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws, which require 30% ownership by non-white investors.

Despite these complexities, Cyril Ramaphosa is betting on golf diplomacy and high-level business ties to defuse tensions and secure renewed trade commitments.

Official spokesperson Vincent Magwenya declined to comment on the final delegation list or the roles of Rupert, Els and Goosen.