South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has called for direct talks between Pretoria and Washington to ease strained diplomatic relations, warning that the current stalemate needs to be addressed through dialogue.
Speaking on Monday at an event in Cape Town to launch his political memoir, Meyer said engagement between the two governments could help resolve their differences and prevent further deterioration in bilateral ties.
“My view is that it can be addressed if there is direct dialogue between the US and the South African authorities, and we hope we can establish that,” Meyer told Agence France-Presse.
Meyer described the relationship as tense and said both countries needed to find a way forward. He said his priority was to restore relations without assigning blame, stressing that South Africa needed to maintain constructive political and economic ties with Washington.
Relations have deteriorated during US President Donald Trump’s second term, amid disagreements over South Africa’s domestic policies, land reform, race relations and foreign policy.
Washington has promoted claims that white Afrikaners face persecution in South Africa, allegations the South African government rejects. The Trump administration has also cut aid, imposed tariffs and introduced visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals it says are responsible for policies involving race-based discrimination, land confiscation without compensation or incitement of violence.
The diplomatic standoff has also affected South Africa’s participation in G20-related engagements in the United States. Meyer said South African representatives would take part in the Business 20 summit in Washington in November, while Pretoria faces uncertainty over its future access to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US programme that provides eligible African countries with preferential access to American markets.
Meyer has identified trade, investment and job creation as priorities for his diplomatic mission, arguing that the relationship extends beyond political disagreements.
South Africa’s access to AGOA is reviewed annually, and the programme’s future remains a concern for exporters as tensions continue. Meyer said direct engagement could help put the relevant facts before decision-makers before further decisions are taken.
Appointed ambassador in April, Meyer is a veteran politician who served as chief negotiator for the apartheid-era National Party during talks that helped bring apartheid to an end. He negotiated with African National Congress representatives, including Cyril Ramaphosa, who is now South Africa’s president.
Meyer’s appeal for direct dialogue comes as Pretoria seeks to protect its economic interests while maintaining its position on domestic and foreign policy. Neither government’s announcement of a formal negotiating process was reported alongside his latest comments.
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