The Trump administration’s relationship with South Africa appears increasingly strained, with actions suggesting a near-pariah status. These include blacklisting envoys, declining high-level participation in South African-hosted meetings, and threats of tariffs that could exacerbate the nation’s economic challenges.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party in the coalition government, recently revealed that the U.S. government denied a diplomatic visa to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoy in May and refused to recognize him as an “official interlocutor.”
Mcebisi Jonas, the non-executive chairman of MTN and a former deputy finance minister, was appointed to the role to improve the U.S.-South Africa relationship.
While Ramaphosa’s spokesman dismissed the DA’s claims as “disinformation,” he did not explicitly deny them. The U.S. State Department, citing “visa record confidentiality,” declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.
Jonas’s appointment followed actions by President Donald Trump, including cutting aid to South Africa, accusing Ramaphosa’s government of persecuting white people, criticizing its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and condemning its renewed relations with Iran.
Priyal Singh, a foreign policy expert at the Institute for Security Studies, suggested to the BBC that the reported denial of Jonas’s visa aligns with a strategy of giving South Africa the “cold shoulder” and limiting essential communication channels.
Beyond bilateral relations, the U.S. has reportedly boycotted South Africa in global forums like the G20, which Ramaphosa currently chairs with the aim of advancing developing nations’ interests.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s decision to send a lower-ranking official to a recent G20 finance ministers’ meeting in South Africa exemplifies this trend.
Bessent also skipped a similar meeting in February, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio avoided a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, citing concerns about “anti-Americanism” within Ramaphosa’s government.
Despite Trump’s invitation to the Oval Office in May, Ramaphosa’s efforts to improve relations were seemingly undermined when the U.S. president used the meeting to promote claims of a genocide against white people in South Africa.
Jonas’s absence from Ramaphosa’s delegation further fueled speculation about his unwelcome status in Washington.
The situation recalls the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, after he criticized Trump’s rhetoric on race.
Ramaphosa’s decision to leave the ambassador post vacant has raised questions about the availability of qualified diplomats to repair relations with South Africa’s second-largest trading partner.
Instead, Ramaphosa appointed Jonas as a special envoy to “lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships and engage with US government officials and private-sector leaders to promote our nation’s interests”.
However, questions remain about Jonas’s suitability, given his past criticisms of Trump and MTN’s stake in IranCell, a major concern for the U.S.
MTN had a 49% stake in Iran’s telecom company IranCell, a major concern for the US.
South Africa’s response to U.S. air strikes on Iran in June was noticeably “more circumspect,” according to Mr. Singh, merely expressing “great anxiety” and hope for dialogue.
W Gyude Moore, a policy analyst at the Center for Global Development, suggested to the BBC that South Africa’s presence in Trump’s “firing line” is not surprising.
He highlighted South Africa’s championing of what Trump’s base perceives as “woke culture,” including Ramaphosa’s emphasis on “solidarity, equality and sustainability” within the G20.
Mr. Moore also noted the Trump administration’s criticism of South Africa’s “black empowerment” policy as “race-based discrimination,” while Ramaphosa’s government views it as essential for addressing apartheid’s legacy.
“I cannot see how the differences can be resolved. South Africa will just have to carry on, and strengthen ties with other countries. It’s not the only one in the crosshairs of the Trump administration,” Mr. Moore added.
This marks a significant shift, as South Africa maintained strong trade and aid relations with previous administrations despite policy disagreements.
Mr. Singh noted that South Africa opposed the Iraq and Afghanistan wars under President George W. Bush but still benefited from the Pepfar program until recent funding cuts.
“The Trump administration is completely different, and caught everyone off-guard. South Africa will just have to weather out the storm, and try to mitigate the damage,” Mr. Singh said.
The economic consequences could be severe, particularly if Trump imposes the threatened 30% tariffs on South African goods starting August 1.
South Africa’s central bank chief Lesetja Kganyago warned that the tariffs could lead to approximately 100,000 job losses in a country with a 32.9% unemployment rate.
The tariffs would disproportionately impact South Africa’s agricultural sector, despite Trump’s claims of supporting the country’s Afrikaner farmers and offering them refugee status in the U.S.
Such a move would enable them to farm in the U.S. and contribute to its economy, aligning with Trump’s “America First” policy.
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