US moves to remove South Africa from AGOA trade deal from 2027

President Donald Trump has notified Congress of plans to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act with effect from 1 January 2027, citing trade and investment barriers, corruption, and US national security and foreign policy concerns. The move ends duty-free access for South African goods, including vehicles, the country's second-largest export earner to the US, and follows diplomatic strains including exclusion from a G20 meeting and travel bans on officials. Trade Minister Parks Tau called the decision unfortunate, saying Washington raised new issues beyond ongoing negotiations. Economists note most exports already enter under standard WTO terms, while the government accelerates export market diversification. Also in this briefing: South Africans head to the polls in local government elections, the Human Rights Commission blames the Gauteng water crisis on systemic distribution failures, and mpox cases climb to 26 amid constrained vaccine supplies.

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