Bumpy road lies ahead for the nation

SEPTEMBER, a month synonymous with renewal and new beginnings, will be the most challenging period in South Africa's political and economic landscape due to actions likely to be taken by the US against the country.

- KENNETH MOKGATLHE

The first is the end of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire in September.

However, the new 30% tariffs introduced by the US for SA will likely override the existing AGOA conventions when they take effect at the beginning of August 2025. The second biggest conundrum will be the possibility of the US Senate's decision on the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025.

The ground is fertile in the US to act against the South African government, which is believed to have acted against the US's national interests. The US has been very critical of South Africa's foreign policy stance, which, on many occasions, went against the American national interests.

This has been evident in their divergent voting patterns on various UN platforms, where South Africa and the US have often taken opposing positions. The relations between the US and SA did not break during the Trump administration, and Joe Biden also raised similar concerns about South Africa.