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South Africa’s relationship with the United States is a story of deep cooperation shadowed by growing complexity. Born in the hopeful dawn of democracy, this partnership has weathered shifting global politics, economic realignments, and ideological divides. Today, South Africa stands on a geopolitical tightrope, courted by the West, embraced by BRICS+, and navigating the volatile currents of a changing world order.
As South Africa enters high-stakes tariff negotiations, its strategic autonomy is under threat. A committed member of BRICS+ and a leading voice of the Global South, South Africa faces mounting pressure from the West to remain tethered to traditional economic configurations. Yet in a multipolar world, South Africa must be free to diversify its partnerships without coercion.
The recent imposition of a 30% blanket tariff by the United States on South African exports is more than an economic blow, it’s a geopolitical message. While South Africa secures multi-billion-dollar agricultural deals with China, offering new avenues for job creation and industrial growth, the West signals its discomfort with this shift. But South Africa must not be forced into a binary choice. It must choose development, dignity, and sovereignty.
When South Africa emerged from apartheid in 1994, the United States was among the first global powers to support the new democratic government. Through development aid, political backing, and trade initiatives, Washington positioned itself as a key partner in South Africa’s reintegration into the global economy.
This partnership was not purely altruistic, it was strategic. South Africa offered the U.S. a stable entry point into the African continent, while the U.S. provided South Africa with legitimacy, capital, and access to global markets and technology.
Over the past three decades, the relationship evolved from moral solidarity to economic interdependence. Yet tensions have surfaced, particularly around South Africa’s positions on Palestine, Iran, and BRICS alignment, revealing the limits of traditional diplomacy in a multipolar era.
The United States remains one of South Africa’s largest trading partners. In 2024, South Africa exported US$8.21 billion worth of goods to the U.S. (Trading Economics). However, by June 2025, exports had declined 16.5% year-on-year, dropping to ZAR 12.1 billion (Observatory of Economic Complexity).
Key export sectors include:
• ???? Agriculture (citrus, macadamia, wine)
• ???? Automotive (vehicles, parts)
• ?? Mining and metals (platinum, gold, aluminium)
The U.S. accounts for 7.7% of South Africa’s exports (Reuters/TIPS), making it a significant, but not dominant, market. The 30% tariff hike, the highest imposed on any sub-Saharan country, threatens to erode competitiveness. Analysts warn of R48 billion in short-term losses and up to 315,000 jobs at risk over four years.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), enacted in 2000, has been the cornerstone of SA–U.S. trade. It grants duty-free access to over 1,800 products, benefiting sectors like:
• ???? Wine and grapes
• ???? Nuts and citrus
• ???? Automotive parts
In 2022, South African exports under AGOA reached US$622 million, with 72% of agricultural exports covered (Agoa.info). Overall, 25% of SA’s exports to the U.S. benefited from AGOA or GSP preferences.
Yet AGOA is set to expire in 2025 (Brookings/Wesgro), and recent 30–50% tariffs on autos and agriculture signal a premature unraveling. The wine industry, employing 270,000 people, is particularly vulnerable. Women-led SMEs, many of which have invested heavily in U.S. markets, now face the risk of losing hard-won access.
South Africa’s foreign policy increasingly reflects a multipolar worldview, with BRICS+ at its core. This alignment is not just political, it’s economic. BRICS+ now represents 42% of the world’s population and 27% of global GDP, positioning South Africa as a gateway to Africa and a voice for reform in global governance.
South Africa’s pivot toward BRICS+ is strategic. It seeks to reduce dependence on Western markets while expanding trade and investment with Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. As agriculture and auto sectors face turbulence, diversification is not optional, it’s essential.
As global South markets rise, these partnerships offer alternatives to reliance on the U.S., especially as agriculture and auto sectors face turbulence. Diversification is strategically necessary, forcing South Africa into a binary choice is untenable.
The Global South offers untapped potential, from green hydrogen exports to AfCFTA-driven intra-African trade. South Africa is already:
Expanding fruit exports to China and Thailand
Negotiating biofuel and wine deals with Vietnam and Japan
Leading in green hydrogen, with projected exports worth $300 billion over 30 years
Yet the gravitational pull of U.S.-centric trade remains strong. Tariffs are being used as tools of economic coercion, threatening to monopolize South Africa’s trade orientation and stifle development.
A full-scale trade fallout would produce no clear winners. South African industries reliant on U.S. exports could suffer massive job losses, while U.S. companies operating in South Africa risk losing access to a vital continental gateway.
South Africa has proposed revised trade offers, including market access for U.S. pork, poultry, and blueberries, but these have been rejected. The impasse reveals a deeper geopolitical rift that cannot be resolved through trade alone.
South Africa’s relationship with the United States is no longer a straightforward partnership. It is a complex dance between politics and business, old alliances and new realities, established markets and emerging opportunities.
In this multipolar era, South Africa must not be forced to choose sides. It must embrace a policy of strategic non-alignment, diversifying global partnerships to foster inclusive development. U.S. attempts to use tariffs as leverage unnecessarily constrain South Africa’s growth.
What Africa needs now is the freedom to expand trade across borders, building an economy resilient enough to serve its people, not dictated by geopolitical binaries. This is not just about tariffs, it’s about sovereignty, dignity, and development.
Africa must choose itself.
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Author Bio
Madelein Mkunu is the President of Leading Women of Africa (LWA), a Pan-African social enterprise promoting women's leadership in economic development, and the founder of Beyond Boundaries, a global content and advocacy platform amplifying African women’s voices in policy, peacebuilding, and development. A bilingual English–French strategist and accomplished public speaker, she brings over 20 years of experience in gender mainstreaming, inclusive governance, and stakeholder engagement across Africa and globally. She holds an MBA and a Master’s in Management from IEDC-Bled School of Management (Slovenia), a Postgraduate Degree in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), a Certificate in Leadership from the Dale Carnegie Institute, and is an alumna of Michigan State University’s Women Empowerment Programme. With a background in accounting and a passion for transformative change, Madelein is a trusted advisor to institutions seeking Africa-rooted development solutions.
