JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa is en route to Washington DC, where he will hold a White House meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday.
Ramaphosa will also meet US Vice-President Kamala Harris at her official residence.
The agenda for the talks is broad, with Ramaphosa hoping to make headway, particularly on trade ties, and seeking to kick-start a discussion about reforming international institutions including the United Nations.
But, as our Washington correspondent Simon Marks reports, disagreements between the two governments over Ukraine threaten to overshadow the discussions.