Washington and Pretoria are facing another escalation in their long-running dispute over South Africa’s domestic policies, with the Trump administration introducing new visa restrictions against foreign nationals it says are involved in discriminatory laws and policies.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the restrictions on September 15, targeting individuals Washington says are responsible for or complicit in policies involving uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination and incitement of violence against minority groups in South Africa. The US government has not identified the individuals affected.
The move follows a broader disagreement over South Africa’s approach to land reform and racial inequality. Trump has repeatedly criticized Pretoria over policies he says disadvantage white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, while the South African government rejects allegations that white citizens are being persecuted or systematically deprived of their property.
At the center of the dispute is South Africa’s Expropriation Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in January 2025. The legislation allows the state to expropriate land in the public interest and, under certain circumstances, without compensation. Pretoria says the law is part of efforts to address the economic legacy of apartheid. Reuters reported in August that no land had been expropriated under the law at that point.
South Africa's government has also rejected Washington's characterization of its broader race-related policies. International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said on September 16 that Pretoria's policies are intended to address inequalities created by centuries of racial injustice and should be implemented through the country's constitutional institutions, democratic processes and rule of law. He called on Washington to respect South Africa's sovereignty.
Land reform is not the only source of friction. Washington has also criticized South Africa's decision to bring a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over its conduct in Gaza. The dispute has already produced other diplomatic and economic consequences, including the suspension of US aid to South Africa in 2025 and further deterioration in bilateral relations.
The latest visa restrictions therefore represent another step in a wider disagreement rather than a dispute created by visa policy itself. Pretoria has called for the differences to be addressed through direct diplomatic engagement, while Washington has signaled that its concerns over South African policies will continue to shape bilateral relations.
