Around 25 officials from Washington and Johannesburg gathered Wednesday for a dialogue this year between the United States and South Africa. The forum, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, focused on joint ventures in mining, energy and logistics, seeking projects that could benefit from U.S. capital. Attendance included Leo Brent Bozell III, two South African deputy ministers and mining and banking executives.

South Africa’s portfolio – platinum, chromium, manganese, vanadium and a sizable smelting sector – offers an alternative to China‑dominated supply chains. Officials floated the Phalaborwa rare earths mine, owned by Rainbow Rare Earths with U.S.-backed investor Techmet on its cap table, as a pilot project. Discussions also touched on U.S. investment in logistics infrastructure to ease the country’s transport bottlenecks, appealing to private investors.

Both governments signaled a thaw after years of diplomatic spats that began with Trump’s accusations and aid cuts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent remarks and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge to build a critical‑minerals framework underscore a shared interest in decoupling from Chinese dominance. The talks remain exploratory, but they lay groundwork for future financing and supply‑chain contracts, and could eventually channel billions into South African projects, reinforcing both economies.