Ramaphosa says amid US AGOA suspension, "diversification has now become the order of the day"

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters after casting his ballot in local elections that Washington’s suspension of South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, effective in January, is a setback. The U.S. had already reduced aid and expelled a prior envoy; President Donald Trump has cited alleged mistreatment of white South Africans, which Pretoria rejects as a false claim from marginal groups. Ramaphosa said business links with the U.S. persist and that his government is working to open other markets for its exports and to negotiate a bilateral trade pact with Washington. The dispute comes amid already strained relations between the two countries.