Resurfaced 2025 clip fuels false Musk-Ramaphosa snub claim amid Starlink row

“Hey #Southafrica, Musk didn't have the decency to shake your president's hand. Musk helped get Malema sentenced. Don't believe for a second he won't target Ramaphosa,” reads the X post published on April 16, 2026. 

Julius Malema is the party leader of South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). He featured in a controversial video screened at the White House last year and was recently sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle in the air during a 2018 rally (archived here and here). He is appealing the sentence.

“Viral Video of Elon Musk Appearing To Snub A Handshake From South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa Has The Internet Talking,” reads additional text overlaid on the clip.

The 11-second clip shows Ramaphosa extending his hand towards Musk, who appears to laugh at him, arms crossed.

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Screenshot of the post with the altered video, taken on April 20, 2026

Similar claims have circulated on Facebook and Instagram since August 2025.

Starlink SA dispute

Musk, who was born in South Africa and left at the height of apartheid to avoid the unpopular military draft, has on several occasions criticised the South African government for its stance on licensing Starlink in the country, calling its policies “racist” (archived here and here). 

“South Africa won’t allow Starlink to be licensed, even though I was BORN THERE, simply because I am not Black!” he wrote in a reply to an X post on April 12, 2026 (archived here). Musk’s account on X -- the social network he owns -- has more than 239 million followers.

Musk's comments were aimed at post-apartheid empowerment policies that compel companies in industries such as banking, mining, and telecommunications to sell a 30 percent ownership stake to previously disadvantaged groups, including people of African, Asian, or coloured descent, women of any race, and disabled people (archived here and here). 

Companies may also comply through an equity-equivalent programme, and Ramaphosa emphasised this in his response to Musk three days later (archived here).

But claims that Musk refused to shake Ramaphosa’s hand are false. The video was clipped and looped to distort its original context.

Altered clip 

AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches using keyframes from the video, which established it was recorded during talks between Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on May 21, 2025 (archived here). 

South Africa’s presidency posted a longer version of the meeting to its YouTube account the same day (archived here). 

“President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at the White House and is received by President Donald Trump, President of the United States,” reads the video’s title.

Visual details visible in both videos include a painting of a waterfall on the wall and the distinctive gold-and-red tie worn by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

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Screenshots taken on April 20, 2026, comparing the altered clip and the original footage published by the South African presidency on YouTube

However, contrary to the clip circulating, the original footage shows Ramaphosa shaking hands with delegates, including Musk. This moment was edited in the altered clip.

Recycled ‘white genocide’ claims

A day after Musk accused South Africa of “racism”, he also amplified false claims about an ongoing “white genocide” in the country. 

He reposted a video showing a highway flanked by graves that AFP Fact Check debunked in May 2025 after Trump screened it at the meeting with Ramaphosa as evidence of the persecution of white farmers.  

In reality, the crosses were erected during a 2020 protest following the murder of a couple on their farm in Normandien, in the North West province of South Africa.

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A screenshot of the misleading X post, taken on April 29, 2026

In response, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said on April 13 that Musk should “move on” (archived here).

“It will be fair to conclude that in the absence of respect for South Africa's transformation laws, your peddling of lies and disinformation about South Africa, the relationship you are forcefully seeking is not going to happen,” he wrote.

Starlink operates in nearly half the countries in Africa. However, Namibia, South Africa’s neighbour, also rejected the internet service in March 2026 (archived here).

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Screenshot from the Starlink website showing country availability, taken on May 5, 2026