By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday, he spoke to President-Elect Donald Trump over the telephone and extended his country’s well wishes to him.
“During our telephone call, we both agreed on the need to strengthen our trade and political ties,” he said on X.
Ramaphosa also said South Africa looks forward to hosting Trump at the G20 Heads of State Summit that will be held in the country next year.
Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in a fiercely contested election marks one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern US history, particularly considering an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff labelling him a “fascist”.
Four days after Trump’s re-election, Africa is grappling with the prospects of what his second term could mean for the continent.
But will Trump 2.0 be good for the continent? During his first stint in the White House critics accused him of dismissing Africa, having cut some funding, curbed immigration and reportedly referred to some of its nations as “shithole countries”.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which has enabled eligible African countries to export some of their produce to the US without paying taxes since 2000, is a key source of concern.
During his previous administration, Trump said the scheme would not be renewed when it expires in 2025.
And during his 2024 campaign he pledged to implement a universal 10% income tariff on all foreign-made goods.
This would make imported goods more expensive, and so African exporters would be likely to sell less of their produce in the large US market.
Numerous commentators in South Africa – one of the largest exporters under the Agoa agreement – have predicted that cutting Agoa could have a significant impact on the economy.