CAPE TOWN, May 26 — South Africa has proposed a decade-long deal to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, offering a major trade package during a high-stakes visit to Washington led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to a ministerial document posted by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the country plans to import between 75 and 100 million cubic feet of LNG annually from the U.S., a move that could generate between $900 million and $1.2 billion in trade each year — up to $12 billion over ten years.
The proposal was made during Ramaphosa’s May 21 meeting at the White House, where he faced criticism from President Donald Trump over domestic policies, including land reform and Black economic empowerment. Trump, who has cut key aid to South Africa, expelled its ambassador, and offered refugee status to white South Africans, also repeated false claims of a “genocide” against the white minority.
The energy proposal is part of a broader trade package designed to reset strained relations between Pretoria and Washington. The document also outlines duty-free quotas allowing South Africa to export up to 40,000 vehicles and significant quantities of steel and aluminium to the U.S., as well as automotive parts for American assembly lines.
Ntshavheni, who accompanied Ramaphosa to Washington and also serves as cabinet spokesperson, stated that South Africa hopes to attract U.S. investment in gas infrastructure, supporting the country’s shift away from coal and toward a gas-powered economy. Areas of potential collaboration include fracking and other technologies to tap into South Africa’s own reserves, particularly in the Karoo region, where shale exploration has stalled over environmental concerns.
The U.S. offer comes at a critical time. South Africa currently sources most of its natural gas from Mozambique, but declining supplies have raised concerns about long-term energy security. LNG imports from the U.S. are intended to supplement, not replace, current sources.
Technical difficulties took the South African government news agency offline on Monday, shortly after it posted the document. While the post had been shared by Ntshavheni on her official X account, it remains unclear whether the version published was final. Requests for comment from the presidency and the minister’s spokesperson went unanswered.
