In order to do business, President Cyril Ramaphosa will go to the UK and the US.
While in the UK, President Ramaphosa will attend the State Funeral Service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the US, he will strengthen ties with South Africa’s third-largest trading partner.
The Presidency issued a statement in which it said that President Ramaphosa is anticipated to leave today for Washington, DC, where he will accept President Joe Biden’s invitation for a meeting between the two leaders.
The Presidency said that the leaders will meet on Friday at the White House to address topics of bilateral, regional, and international concern, including as trade and investment, climate change, food security, energy, and peace and security.
President Ramaphosa will emphasise the significance of South Africa and the United States’ strategic and mutually beneficial ties during the visit.
“The President will reiterate the need for improved multilateralism and conversation as a method of addressing the issues confronting mankind. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 epidemic, one of them is the urgent necessity to accelerate economic recovery, according to the Presidency.
President Ramaphosa and his delegation will meet with Congressional leaders and Civil Rights Movement veterans while they are in Washington, DC. These individuals were crucial in educating Americans about apartheid and are still committed to the fight against racism in both South Africa and the United States.
South Africa’s top export market, as well as an important source of FDI, technology transfer, economic aid, and tourism, is the United States.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free and quota-free access to the US market for value-added goods, governs trade and investment ties.
The employment generated by AGOA has benefited both South Africa and the US, making it a win-win situation.
With more than 600 American firms operating in South Africa, the United States ranks third in terms of trade volume after China and the European Union.
The United States was South Africa’s second-most important international export market in 2021.
17.4% of all South African FDI sent to foreign countries is directed to the United States, according to the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC).
The Presidency emphasised that the interaction with President Biden during the President’s visit to the United States offers a platform for enhancing bilateral ties with the United States.
For Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a State Funeral
President Ramaphosa will depart from Washington, DC, on Saturday and fly to London, England, where he will attend activities related to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral.
The King’s Reception, which His Majesty King Charles III gave at Buckingham Palace in honour of heads of state and government and guests invited to the State Funeral Service, will be attended by the President on Sunday, September 18, the Presidency said.
The President will be among the international leaders present for Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral Service on Monday at Westminster Abbey in London.
The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, the UK Foreign Secretary, will host a reception for heads of state and government and other notable visitors in the grounds of Westminster Abbey just after the State Funeral Service.