Turning tariffs into triumph: How South Africa can turn Trump’s 30% blow into a global jobs advantage

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping 30% tariff on all goods imported from South Africa, citing "unfair trade practices" and a lack of reciprocity. While the decision has rattled exporters and drawn sharp criticism from Pretoria, it may well be the catalyst we need to rethink our economic destiny. Rather than respond with indignation or fear, South Africa should view this challenge as an opportunity: to accelerate innovation, create new export markets, and, above all, build jobs for our youth - both at home and abroad.

We’ve faced shocks before. From sanctions during apartheid to the 2008 global financial crisis, from Covid-19 to greylisting - South Africans have shown resilience in adversity. This tariff shock, while painful, could become a turning point, especially if aligned with the outcomes of the recent Future of Jobs Summit™. The time has come to build a youth-powered export economy - not reliant on old trade patterns, but on bold new industries and global opportunity.

Here is a 10-step national response strategy - a roadmap to turning Trump’s tariff into opportunity for the next generation.

1. Launch a “Jobs Through Exports” National Task Force

The government must move fast to establish a Presidential Jobs and Exports Task Force, composed of trade negotiators, youth employment leaders, industrialists, and tech entrepreneurs. This task force should develop job-led export policies tied to global growth sectors - digital services, AI, agritech, green energy, and creative industries. The goal? To link every trade decision to job outcomes.

2. Expand Global Business Services (GBS) to Absorb Displaced Workers

One of South Africa’s most promising job creation stories is the GBS sector, which has already created over 150 000 youth jobs by servicing global clients. The Future of Jobs Summit™ referenced the plan to grow this to 500 000 by 2030. Now is the time to double down. Redirect displaced workers from tariff-hit industries like citrus and wine into customer support, legal process outsourcing, and tech support roles targeting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

3. Establish Export Zones for Youth-Owned Businesses

Create Export Opportunity Zones (EOZs) in townships and rural areas, where youth entrepreneurs can produce goods and services for global markets, supported by tax breaks, seed capital, and global mentorship. Focus on e-commerce exports, fashion, crafts, digital goods, and virtual services. These zones can become global brand ambassadors for South African creativity.

4. Fast-Track Youth into High-Growth Export Sectors

The sectors of the future are borderless: AI, coding, data science, cybersecurity, climate tech. We must ramp up public-private bootcamps, leveraging platforms like SAP's Educate to Employ and Young Professionals Programmes. These jobs can be delivered remotely from South Africa to the world.

5. Negotiate Tariff Off-Ramps in Exchange for Youth Empowerment Commitments

Use the upcoming trade negotiation window not to beg for mercy - but to offer bold solutions. Propose a phased tariff rollback in exchange for youth-focused trade reforms, including reducing red tape on US imports that create jobs here (e.g. agri-tech, solar kits, education tech).

6. Diversify Export Markets with a Youth Lens

The US is important - but not irreplaceable. We must move faster into Africa, the Middle East, India, China, and Latin America. But not just with commodities - with young entrepreneurs offering services and solutions. Government trade offices should target youth buyers abroad - young consumers, startups, digital platforms - and match them with SA youth suppliers.

7. Global Youth Placement Programme: Export Our Talent

Why not treat our talented youth like our avocados and wine? Launch a Global Youth Work Placement Programme to partner with allies (Germany, UAE, Singapore, Canada) and place 50 000 South African youth per year into global internships, apprenticeships and service opportunities.

8. Create the SA Youth Export Accelerator

Build a digital platform, backed by public and private funding, that matches youth-owned products and services with global demand. Think “Shopify meets LinkedIn meets Alibaba.” Provide fulfilment, logistics, marketing and translation support—so our youth can export their skills, crafts, code, and creativity directly to global buyers.

9. Use the Future of Jobs Summit™ Blueprint as a Global Proof Point

The recent Future of Jobs Summit™ generated a national blueprint for job creation through public-private action. This document must now become South Africa’s economic diplomacy tool - used at the G20, World Trade Organisation, and Agoa renegotiations - to show the world we are not protectionist, but future-ready.

10. Rebrand the Nation Around Youth Potential

Finally, South Africa must reposition itself globally - not as a victim of tariffs, but as a nation of youthful problem-solvers. Let’s launch a bold campaign under the “Made by SA Youth” banner. Show the world our coders, our storytellers, our green builders. Make every export, every service, every job part of a greater story: that South Africa is young, gifted, and open for global business.

In Conclusion

President Trump’s tariffs may appear to be a heavy blow. But history teaches us: pressure creates diamonds. We have two options - retreat into victimhood or rise with purpose. The second path is not easy. But it offers something greater than avoiding a 30% tariff: a shot at economic self-determination, powered by our youth.

If we play this right - turning this crisis into a coordinated, youth-driven export revolution - South Africa could emerge not just as a nation that endured Trump’s tariff war, but one that outsmarted it and created a million new pathways into global prosperity.The world has thrown us a challenge. Let’s answer it - not with anger, but with action, ambition and audacity.

Dr Nik Eberl is a founder & executive chair: The Future of Jobs Summit™ (Official T20 Side Event). He is author of Nation of Champions: How South Africa won the World Cup of Destination Branding.

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

BUSINESS REPORT