Pius Dunaiski discusses the press conference between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump
May 22, 2025
The highly anticipated press conference between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked mixed reactions. Some have praised Ramaphosa for his calm, reasoned, and assertive approach in engaging his counterpart, seeing it as a display of leadership and diplomatic finesse.
Others, however, have accused him of compromising the majority’s call for land expropriation without compensation in favour of appeasing U.S. interests.
As Ramaphosa attempts to balance South Africa’s domestic priorities with its strategic international relations—particularly with the United States—questions have emerged about whether he has successfully positioned himself as a principled African statesman, restoring confidence in U.S.-Africa relations while preserving South Africa’s image as a non-racist, democratic nation.
To unpack the subtle cues, non-verbal language, and optics of the engagement, we were joined by Ambassador Pius Dunaiski, who has been closely following and analysing the diplomatic theatre surrounding this moment.
