Cape Town – South Africa’s presidential Special Envoy to North America, Mcebisi Jonas, has emphasised that although the world is facing unprecedented challenges, including imminent US tariffs set to take effect on August 1, there should be no despair.
Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation in Johannesburg, Jonas highlighted his role in advising on and promoting South Africa’s foreign policy.
He focuses on building a unified national response by engaging government agencies, private sector, and civil society to ensure South Africans speak with one voice on these critical issues.
“I do engagements, but I think my main focus is building South Africa’s response to this reality and engaging with all the agencies of the state, but also engaging with all stakeholders in the private sector in civil society so that South Africans speak with one voice on these issues,” SABC News quoted Jonas as saying.
[WATCH] Presidential special envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas, says South Africa must not allow its foreign policy to be captured by “business cabals” with their own agendas. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/sQgZdSXitO
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) July 29, 2025
Jonas urged Africa, especially South Africa, to adopt a pragmatic, values-driven foreign policy that repositions the continent at the center of global trade and diplomacy amid shifting economic conditions.
According to IOL, he pointed to challenges such as debt distress, declining commodity prices, and rising protectionism — including threats to AGOA and the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — that risk restricting Africa’s access to markets.
He stressed Africa’s demographic advantage, with the continent’s youth population expected to reach 2.5 billion by mid-century, calling for stronger regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and diversification of trade relationships beyond traditional partners to Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
[WATCH] The Presidency Special Envoy to the U.S, Mcebisi Jonas, says SA should position itself as one of the economic powers in light of the changes in global trade. pic.twitter.com/6T4RmBfKvL
— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 29, 2025
On China, Jonas acknowledged its role as a major investor but warned of growing debt burdens and economic risks, cautioning that Chinese imports have undermined local industries and likening the relationship to a form of neo-colonialism.
Positioning South Africa as a key global player — as the largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa for major global economies, a BRICS member, and G20 president — Jonas called for a forward-looking foreign policy grounded in democratic values and economic potential.
He proposed a G7-style framework to link Africa’s largest economies for enhanced trade and policy alignment, and emphasized that South Africa’s relationship with the US is based on shared democratic values and is not merely transactional.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
