Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to the United States for a week-long visit focused on artificial intelligence and its potential benefits for his country, the presidency said Saturday. The trip comes just over a week after Washington announced that South Africa would be excluded from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from January 1, raising concerns over potential job losses in an economy already grappling with weak growth and high unemployment.
“The President left yesterday,” spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told AFP Saturday. Asked whether Ramaphosa had informed US President Donald Trump of the visit, Magwenya said: “I’m not sure if he was able to inform President Trump or not.” Relations between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated over policy disputes ranging from race and trade to foreign affairs. The United States has cut aid programmes, imposed tariffs and offered asylum to white Afrikaners over false claims of a “genocide” that South Africa has repeatedly rejected as unfounded.
Ramaphosa is leading a delegation to Silicon Valley in California from November 15 to 21, the presidency said in a statement. The delegation includes government officials, business leaders, researchers, students and technical experts. South Africa is exploring how to position itself as a competitive AI hub on the continent, it said.
“AI presents significant opportunities to improve productivity, strengthen public service delivery, stimulate economic growth and support the creation of new industries and employment opportunities,” the presidency said. It said potential applications in South Africa included healthcare, education, criminal justice, public administration and public procurement.
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