US Ambassador Brent Bozell meeting President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa signalled a push to reset strained ties with the US, backing plans by Washington’s new envoy to boost America’s corporate presence in the country as he welcomed “positive signals” on trade relations.

The remarks, made at the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa on Thursday, come a day after Ramaphosa accepted the credentials of US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell, a move that may help steady relations between Pretoria and Washington after a period of diplomatic friction.

“I understand that the Ambassador wants to double the number of US companies operating in South Africa,” he said. “This is an ambition that we wholeheartedly support and that we hope to work together to achieve.”

Ramaphosa’s conciliatory tone signalled renewed efforts to rebuild both economic and diplomatic ties with one of South Africa’s largest trading partners and sources of foreign direct investment.

“Recently we have had several positive signals from the United States,” the president said. He added that South Africa was speaking with US lawmakers and trade officials, including discussions around the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a key preferential trade program.

Relations between Pretoria and Washington have been chilly since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, with tensions flaring over false claims that South Africa was subjecting White farmers to a genocide and seizing their land. The lack of a South African ambassador to Washington, following the expulsion of its previous envoy, has added to the uncertainty around bilateral ties.

“As we continue the work to strengthen economic ties, we are committed to rebuild political and diplomatic relations between our two countries,” Ramaphosa said, noting that more than 600 American companies operate in South Africa and employ more than 250,000 people.

He also pointed to growing cooperation in strategic sectors such as critical minerals, which are increasingly central to global supply chains and US industrial policy, while highlighting domestic reforms aimed at improving South Africa’s investment appeal.