South Africa is navigating an era where American foreign policy in Africa may finally favour mutual economic interests over political agendas.
The US embassy in Pretoria has been on social media this week making a big fanfare for what is clearly the key to Washington’s new Africa policy: Trade, not aid.
In the tumultuous, ever-changing era of President Donald Trump, it is difficult to decide whether that statement or slogan is rhetoric, or marketing – or an indication of a new policy initiative.
To us in South Africa, if it is indeed the new way of the Americans in Africa, then it does hold out some hope.
About to be battered by Trump’s tariffs, it should be comforting for SA to hear that trade, not politics, is top of the US agenda.
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When International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola spoke this week about ongoing negotiations with Washington on a proposed trade deal package, he specifically noted that the Americans are at the table with no demands on issues like alleged white genocide, or the ANC’s economic empowerment and affirmative action policies.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chatted to Trump this week, also believes the communication channels are still open.
Whether Trump will use the trade deal leverage to achieve the goal of forcing the ANC to back down on its policies remains to be seen, however.
