Trump presidency: first reflections on the impact for Africa

The paper reflects on the uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump's approach to Africa, noting a lack of specific campaign policy for the region. It suggests that while the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is likely to remain stable, future free trade negotiations with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) could face stalemates due to Trump's 'tougher trade deals' rhetoric. The author highlights the risk of reduced focus on aid and the importance of shifting the US-Africa relationship from charity to partnership, especially as China and Japan increase their geopolitical engagement in Africa.

• The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been extended to 2025 and is unlikely to be a contentious issue, although South Africa may face pressure during annual reviews regarding its preferential market access.
• There is a risk that negotiations for a post-AGOA free trade agreement between the US and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) could reach a stalemate if Trump pursues 'tougher trade deals' similar to the inflexible templates that ended negotiations in 2003.
• US aid is unlikely to be a primary priority for the Trump administration due to his isolationist 'make America great again' stance, leaving the future of initiatives like Power Africa and the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit uncertain.
• Africa's geopolitical importance is increasing due to population growth and partnerships with other global powers, specifically through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). Trump presidency: first reflections on the impact for Africa. https://saiia.org.za/research/trump-presidency-first-reflections-on-the-impact-for-africa/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Trump presidency: first reflections on the impact for Africa. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/research/trump-presidency-first-reflections-on-the-impact-for-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Trump presidency: first reflections on the impact for Africa |date=9 November 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/trump-presidency-first-reflections-on-the-impact-for-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2016trump, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Trump presidency: first reflections on the impact for Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/trump-presidency-first-reflections-on-the-impact-for-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }