His "Making of America Great Again" and his return may spell a difficult road ahead for the African continent as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Trump is expected to return to the Oval Office, and questions about his foreign policy on the continent remain the centre of attention.
Independent economic analyst Professor Bonke Dumisa warned that Trump’s return may not usher in a positive impact on the continent, arguing that Trump and the US do not value Africa’s economic contribution to the world.
“Many people are specifically worried about President-Elect Donald Trump's assumption of the Presidency of the USA because he doesn't have a good track record of respecting global multilateral bodies and processes.
“African countries must, therefore, not bother about these bullying threats from Trump, but they must consciously keep in mind that the USA has always ruled the world through the weaponisation of the US dollar and the weaponisation of the international trade systems.
“Some small countries that are more vulnerable to US bullying must just dance to Donald Trump's threats. But, those countries who can easily stand their ground, such as China, must take a principled stand and quickly announce their retaliatory steps against the US tariffs should that conversation arise.”
On the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), Dumisa felt that South Africa was safe until 2025 when the act expires, but warned that this could change depending on what leverage Trump will use to renegotiate the deal.
Under Trump’s presidency, US foreign direct investment in Africa decreased from $56.6 billion to $46.9 billion, a decline of over $10 billion. Meanwhile, China has increased its investment in Africa, funnelling an estimated $25 billion into South Africa alone for communications, finance, energy, and manufacturing projects.
During his previous presidential term from 2017 to 2021, Trump did not visit Africa and made controversial remarks about the continent. South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, and Nigeria formally protested his comments, and the African Union demanded a retraction.
Under outgoing President Joe Biden, the US and its allies invested in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). South Africa is expected to begin moving away from generating electricity from coal, which accounts for four-fifths of its electricity generation, to producing more renewable energy using a $9.3 billion (R169.1bn) climate loan from Germany, France, the UK, the US, and the EU.
However, this may stall as Trump has made it clear that he did not support the US’s push for clean energy, arguing that it was not sustainable.
Trump has made it clear that his government will repeal significant climate policies passed during President Joe Biden’s presidency.
IOL