South Africa, May 22 -- While it may have appeared to be a standard bilateral meeting, it was in fact a reset moment and a reputational salvage effort that placed South Africa's messaging strategy under a live stress test.

It was also the first real engagement since South Africa's ambassador was expelled and declared persona non grata.

Until this point, diplomatic doors were closed.

While many in the policy community expected a broader conversation about investment, energy, and global alignment, I think that the priority was simply to get the door open.

In a country context overinflamed by misinformation, reopening the door begins with controlling the story.

The meeting became a high-stakes test of message discipline in the face of p...