Dawie Roodt: ‘Things will get worse for South Africa after US visa sanctions’

Staff Reporter — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:38:49 +0000

Efficient Group Chief Economist Dawie Roodt warns that the United States could do far more harm to South Africa than targeted visa restrictions. Roodt said the United States can impose financial restrictions and pressure other countries to also levy sanctions on individual South Africans. His comment comes after the United States announced a new visa restriction policy targeting South African politicians and decisionmakers. These restrictions will apply to “foreign nationals who enact or enable policies that promote race-based discrimination, incite violence, or enable land confiscation without compensation in South Africa”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would not allow such behaviour to go “unchecked”, as they undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law. Rubio’s announcement was followed by a statement from the US Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, who said the visa restriction policy is only the start. He said the United States wants lasting relations with South Africa, but Pretoria has not shown that it wants the same. “As a result, the consequences, as I’ve attempted time and again to express, are necessarily going to be severe,” he warned. Roodt stated the visa restrictions are only one of a host of consequences the United States could have in store for South Africa. “Without a doubt, the Americans can do much, much more. It’s not only visa restrictions that they can implement. There can be all sorts of financial restrictions as well, and they can pressurise other countries to join in sanctioning these individuals," he warned. In response to the United States’ announcement, South Africa’s International Relations Minister, Ronald Lamola, said the public should prepare themselves for the worst-case scenario. He said Washington wants South Africa to surrender its sovereignty, which the country is not willing to do. “The South African public needs to prepare for the worst-case scenario, because the reality is that we are expected to surrender our sovereignty,” he said. Lamola said the United States has demanded that South Africa get rid of policies such as Black Economic Empowerment and land expropriation. He argued that these issues “belong to the sovereignty of the South African public and South African institutions”, and the country is capable of determining these policies for itself. “These are issues of serious contestation with the United States, and we are of the view that they belong to the South African public,” he said.

South Africa slapped with visa restrictions from the US

Staff Reporter — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:27:41 +0000

The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting some foreign nationals from South Africa, adding a new consideration for people affected by the policy when travelling to the US. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the restrictions apply to foreign nationals who are responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation of laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa. “The South African government has not adequately addressed the previously laid out concerns,” Rubio said. Who is affected The policy does not amount to a blanket visa restriction on people travelling from South Africa. Instead, it targets foreign nationals whom the US identifies as falling within the specified categories. Rubio's announcement did not name any individuals. The policy is being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the Secretary of State to deem a foreign national inadmissible where their entry could have potentially serious adverse foreign-policy consequences for the US. Certain family members may also be covered. Policy follows tensions The visa restrictions come as relations between Washington and Pretoria have deteriorated under the Trump administration. The US has criticised South Africa's land reform policies and measures addressing racial inequality, as well as its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Pretoria has rejected claims that white South Africans face discrimination or persecution. President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for international efforts to counter what he describes as false claims of white persecution, while South Africa has argued that racial inequality and ideas of white racial superiority remain issues affecting the country's post-apartheid unity and sovereignty. Broader US measures The latest visa policy follows other steps taken by the Trump administration affecting US-South Africa relations, including cutting aid to South Africa, expelling its ambassador and offering refuge to White Afrikaners. Trump has also made claims of White genocide in South Africa that Pretoria has rejected.

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Dawie Roodt: ‘Things will get worse for South Africa after US visa sanctions’

South Africa slapped with visa restrictions from the US