South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the Democrats' rout of the Republicans in US midterm elections heralded a "new era in world relations" and could thaw strained ties between Pretoria and Washington.
The two countries have clashed over race, trade and diplomacy, with Washington cutting aid, imposing tariffs and offering white Afrikaners asylum over discredited claims of a "genocide".
"I do think that this group is going to introduce a new era in world relations," Ramaphosa told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the Democratic result.
"We're hoping that on a bilateral basis, there will be a coming together of minds where we will find a proper path forward on geopolitics as well as on trade matters and investment matters," Ramaphosa said, speaking after voting in local government elections.
Differences between the United States and South Africa have touched on a range of policies and influenced Washington's decision this week to remove the country from a trade deal offering eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free US market access for certain products.
South Africa, as well as Rwanda, are set to be dropped from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from January 1, with fears it could cost the battered local economy thousands of jobs.
Last year, US President Donald Trump berated Ramaphosa in the Oval Office over discredited claims of a "white genocide".
In his reaction to the Democrat win, South African foreign minister Ronald Lamola said on social media it was a victory for democracy, accountability and the international rule of law.
"A victory for those who believe that relations between countries should be governed by predictability and mutual respect," said Lamola, who has called Washington's preferential treatment of white Afrikaners "apartheid 2.0".
South Africa - Africa's most industrialised nation - is the United States' largest trading partner on the African continent, with more than 500 US businesses and 30,000 US citizens based in the country.
