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US President Donald Trump has become “an unlikely catalyst” in shifting South Africa’s economic and foreign policies, writes journalist Sam Mkokeli in a column for Semafor.
In a bid to stabilize relations following last week’s heated Oval Office meeting between Trump and the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Pretoria has proposed importing around $1 billion of US liquefied natural gas annually in exchange for duty-free access for South African steel, aluminum, and vehicles. It has also dialed back its criticism of Israel, a senior ANC insider told Mkokeli, after filing a genocide case against the country at the International Court of Justice.
This pivot is shaped by both domestic coalition constraints and geopolitical pressure, writes Mkokeli, reflecting a move away from ideological orthodoxy and toward economic pragmatism.
