South African officials welcomed Democrats’ midterm gains as a potential turning point in strained relations with Washington, just days after the Trump administration moved to end the country’s preferential trade access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola congratulated the Democrats on X on Tuesday, describing the results as “a victory for democracy in the US and the world” and “a victory for accountability, the international rule of law and the UN Charter.”
He added that the outcome showed Americans “value diversity” and favored relations based on “predictability and mutual respect,” while pledging to “continue working towards a common ground.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa struck a similar note the same day while voting in South Africa’s local elections.
He said the results would “introduce a new era in world relations” because the United States is “such a big economy and it’s such an impactful and influential economy.” He called the AGOA suspension “indeed a negative for us” but stressed that trade would continue and that Pretoria was already diversifying markets.
Both statement follows a Monday notification, where the US Trade Representative notified South Africa of its intention to suspend the country’s AGOA benefits from 1 January 2027, citing barriers to American trade and investment, corruption concerns, and threats to US national-security and foreign-policy interests. Rwanda received a similar notice. South Africa has been the largest AGOA beneficiary.
Government figures show the program’s relative weight has already declined. AGOA-eligible exports fell to about $1.7 billion in 2025 from roughly $4 billion in 2024, accounting for about 10% of South African shipments to the United States, down from 28%.
Nearly 90% of exports to the US already enter under ordinary World Trade Organization most-favored-nation terms, and AGOA goods represented only about 1% of South Africa’s total global exports.
Bilateral goods and services trade reached $28.8 billion in 2025. More than 600 American companies operate in the country, supporting approximately 134,600 jobs.
Automotive exports to the US had already collapsed by about 83% in 2025, from roughly 24,700 units to about 4,100, after separate Section 232 tariffs took effect independent of AGOA status.
Industry bodies note that the pending loss of preferential access adds uncertainty but does not close the market. South Africa supplies 12 of the 50 minerals the United States lists as critical.
Democratic majorities give the new Congress oversight and subpoena power over Africa policy and trade decisions, which Lamola told News24 could increase scrutiny of Trump administration approaches toward South Africa.
They do not automatically reverse an executive eligibility determination before the January deadline. Pretoria has said it will support affected sectors while pursuing a bilateral agreement and further market diversification.
The statements from Lamola and Ramaphosa make clear that Pretoria views Republican losses in Congress as creating a more favorable environment for negotiations, even as the underlying trade and policy disputes remain unresolved.
