International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Tuesday.
"The United States is a major economic partner for South Africa and continues to feature high on the list of trade and investment partners," she said at a media briefing in Pretoria.
"It is a major export market for South African products and an important source of foreign direct investment."
She described relations between South Africa and the US as "solid, strong, and positive".
US President Barack Obama is due to arrive in South Africa on Friday for an official visit as part of his three-nation tour.
He is expected to leave Washington on Wednesday for Senegal, then visit South Africa, and then Tanzania.
Nkoana-Mashabane noted that the US strategy had "synergies" with South Africa's support of the African agenda in terms of strengthening democratic institutions, and supporting economic growth, trade and investment.
Co-operation
The thrust of South Africa's foreign policy was pursuing the African Agenda.
"Our foreign policy is informed by our domestic priorities, which seek to address the five key areas identified by government."
She noted that in recent years, economic co-operation had received increased attention on the back of a stable political relationship with the US, and an ever-increasing solidarity between the two countries.
"We have seen significant expansion of trade ties and investment links between our respective countries.
"Trade and investment has featured prominently on our agenda because we believe that this will assist in dealing with the effects of slow economic growth and growing unemployment in both our countries."
There were currently around 600 US companies trading in South Africa, creating over 120 000 local jobs and contributing about 30% to corporate social investment.
In 2011, total trade with the US was in excess of R130-billion, with South Africa enjoying a trade surplus of around R18-billion.
South Africa was also the US's biggest market in Africa, accounting for US7.3-billion of American exports.
Exports
Nkoana-Mashabane said South Africa's exports to the US, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), were the most diversified when compared to other sub-Saharan African countries' exports.
The act offered "tangible incentives" for African countries to open their economies and build free markets.
"AGOA has boosted bilateral trade between the US and South Africa … It is estimated that about 98% of South African and other sub-Saharan African countries' exports to the US receive preferential treatment under AGOA," she said.
South Africa was also an important investor in the US. Sasol, for example, had invested in Louisiana and this was regarded as "the single biggest investment in the history of the US", said the minister.
"This investment will not only pump in much needed revenue to the economy of the US, but will, through Sasol's world class technology, revolutionise the economy of Louisiana and surrounding states, such as Texas … and create employment opportunities."
Aids relief
​President Jacob Zuma and Obama were due to hold bilateral talks in Pretoria on Saturday and engage on the status of relations.
Various sectors would be discussed, including health, education co-operation, trade, and peace and development assistance.
The visit would also provide an opportunity for both countries to reflect on the positive work done in terms of Aids relief and investments.
"The United States continues to support South Africa's domestic priorities and has made an effort to align its assistance programmes and projects with these priority areas," said Nkoana-Mashabane.
"South Africa and the US face a number of common challenges, such as the quest to improve public education and health, create jobs, develop skills, and safety and security issues."
The US strategy towards sub-Saharan Africa, which was announced in June last year by Obama, acknowledged that Africa was more important than ever to the security and prosperity of the international community, and to the US in particular.