As Marco Rubio calls South Africa’s Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool persona non grata, here is a timeline of a falling out.
Relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated rapidly since early 2025, driven by ideological divisions, geopolitical alliances, and domestic policy conflicts.
The stakes remain high, threatening significant economic disruptions, particularly South Africa’s access to the lucrative U.S. market via AGOA. Both countries are caught in a rapidly intensifying geopolitical rivalry that shows no signs of resolution.
Key drivers include South Africa’s policy of land expropriation, its close ties with Russia, China, and Iran, and its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, particularly its actions against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Pretoria has also pushed to expand BRICS membership to include Iran and maintains a non-aligned position on global conflicts, most notably the Russia-Ukraine war.
South Africa’s ANC loses its parliamentary majority for the first time. President Cyril Ramaphosa forms a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA).
President Biden congratulates Ramaphosa, pledging close collaboration and confirms attendance at the 2025 G20 summit in South Africa.
Donald Trump wins the US presidential elections.
One U.S. candidate for the role of Undersecretary of State for African Affairs, J. Peter Pham, tells The Africa Report that “Trump believes in reciprocity.” A recent review of the U.S. trade scheme AGOA saw major agricultural interests, particularly in meat and dairy, push back against South Africa’s market restrictions