With the impending Trump administration, South Africa finds its foreign policy under intense examination, particularly its relationships with Russia, China, Iran, and Israel. Key Republicans are advocating for South Africa's removal from beneficial trade agreements like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) if its stance on these nations remains unchanged. This could jeopardize South Africa's duty-free exports to the U.S., impacting industries like automobiles and citrus fruits, and potentially costing thousands of jobs.

South Africa's participation in military exercises with Russia, its refusal to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine, and its close ties with China through BRICS have raised concerns in Washington. Furthermore, the ANC's interactions with Hamas and criticism of Israel have drawn criticism from prominent Republicans like Senators Jim Risch and Tim Scott. These concerns are echoed by experts like J. Brooks Spector and Richard Goldberg, who advocate for a reassessment of U.S.-South Africa relations.

President-elect Trump. (Peter Kramer/NBC via Getty Images)

From left: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin appear during the BRICS summit in Kazan on Oct. 23. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Naledi Pandor, former minister of international relations and cooperation of South Africa, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, minister of foreign affairs of Iran, meet in Tehran on Oct. 22, 2023. (Haydar Sahin/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal at a rally in his honor in Cape Town. South Africa, on Oct. 21, 2015. (Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former President Trump appear during a Fox News Channel town hall in Greenville, South Carolina, on Feb. 20. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, looks on during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 26, 2022. (Bonnie Cash-Pool/Getty Images)

The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov is seen docked in the Cape Town harbor on Feb. ​14​, 2023, en route to naval exercises with the South African and Chinese navies. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

While some, like COSATU's Matthew Parks, express optimism for continued U.S.-South Africa relations, others, such as Emma Powell of the Democratic Alliance, anticipate a more transactional approach under the Trump administration. The potential ramifications of South Africa's exclusion from AGOA are substantial, with experts warning of economic consequences and job losses. The future of this relationship hinges on South Africa's response to these mounting pressures.