South Africa scrambles for new markets as US tariffs loom

Johannesburg – South Africa will seek new markets in Africa and Asia as it continues to negotiate with the United States over looming 30 percent trade tariffs, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.

The United States is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner and Pretoria has warned the US levy could cost 100,000 jobs, with unemployment already above 30 percent.

The tariff – among those to take effect against several countries from August 7 – is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa and comes with diplomatic relations between the two countries in tatters over a range of domestic and international policies.

“Our foremost priority is protecting our export industries,” Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter.

Dear Fellow South African,

The decision by the United States to impose a 30% tariff on South African imports highlights the urgency with which we have to adapt to increasingly turbulent headwinds in international trade.

🔗 https://t.co/37GQPUuuRW pic.twitter.com/X18pARpu7w

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 4, 2025

“We will continue to engage the US in an attempt to preserve market access for our products. We must also accelerate the diversification of our export markets, particularly by deepening intra-African trade,” he said.

In a bid to avert the high tariff, South Africa has offered to import US liquefied natural gas and some US agricultural products, as well as invest in its mining and metals-recycling industries, the trade ministry said last week.

The new tariff will in particular hit South Africa’s agriculture, automotive and textiles sectors, which Pretoria argues does not compete with US industry but supports it.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is furious that America is unfairly singling out South Africa. He believes new US tariffs hitting this Thursday aim to punish us because we’re Africa’s strongest economy. These taxes will slap a painful 30% fee on our goods sold to America. pic.twitter.com/oDvPW1B0ee

— Forever Yena News 𝕏 (@ForeverYenaNews) August 1, 2025

The government has established a support desk that will help exporters and producers explore alternative markets in the rest of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Ramaphosa said.

It would also push forward with plans for a free-trade area for the African continent, he said.

The United States announced last week 15 percent tariffs on exports from several sub-Saharan countries, including the export-reliant small mountain kingdom of Lesotho which had initially been warned of 50 percent tariffs.