Tariffs, AGOA and Diplomatic Silence: Why SA Still Has No US Ambassador

South Africa’s trade future with the United States hangs in the balance and there’s still no ambassador in Washington to defend it.

Despite rising tensions over looming US tariffs and the uncertain renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), President Cyril Ramaphosa has yet to appoint a new ambassador to the United States. The position has been vacant since March, when Ebrahim Rasool was quietly removed following remarks deemed offensive by the Trump administration.

In Rasool’s place, the president named Mcebisi Jonas as special envoy to North America. But the appointment has sparked controversy. Opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) claims the US rejected Jonas’s credentials, reportedly flagging him as an unacceptable choice due to his past criticisms of Donald Trump.

The Presidency has pushed back, accusing the DA of peddling disinformation to score political points.

“The Democratic Alliance’s latest effort to embarrass President Ramaphosa’s Special Envoy… involves claims in the DA’s framing that the United States has rejected Mr Jonas’s credentials,” read a statement from the Presidency. “This campaign has its origins in a DA visit to the United States earlier this year to advance an ideological agenda rather than our national interest.”

But that explanation hasn’t satisfied critics, especially with trade relations on a knife’s edge.

AGOA Expiring, Tariffs Incoming

The US is set to impose a steep 30% tariff on South African exports as early as next month. At the same time, the renewal of AGOA, a key US trade programme providing duty-free access for South African goods — remains in limbo, set to expire this year.

With just weeks remaining, DA trade spokesperson Toby Chance says the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has failed to act decisively.

“DTIC’s complacency is a risk hanging over the heads of every worker in our car factories and on our farms,” said Chance. “The department must tell South Africans whether it made written submissions to Congress on AGOA ahead of the 30th June deadline, and whether delegates will make oral submissions on 18th July.”

The DTIC did not respond to media requests by deadline.

A Diplomatic Misstep?

Siseko Maposa, director at Surgetower Associates and international relations analyst, says appointing Jonas was always a risky move.

“Jonas is a known Trump critic. His appointment reeked of poor judgment from the start,” Maposa said. “While this post may retain symbolic value, it has little practical effect on Trump’s tariff decisions — which are being driven by ideology, not dialogue.”

Maposa believes the impasse is symptomatic of deeper dysfunction within South Africa’s new Government of National Unity (GNU), where internal disagreement and slow decision-making are costing the country on the global stage.

He adds that US-South Africa ties are unlikely to improve without major foreign policy shifts — including Pretoria distancing itself from “anti-Israel” rhetoric and breaking ties with nations the US views as hostile.

“In this reality, maintaining an envoy to Washington serves more as diplomatic theatre than strategic necessity. Yet protocol persists, so an appointment is needed,” said Maposa.

What Happens Next?

As South African exporters brace for impact, the absence of a clear diplomatic figure in Washington raises urgent questions about Pretoria’s priorities. With no ambassador, no confirmed envoy visa, and no trade deal secured, time is running out to protect the nation’s economic interests in its most important trade relationship.

Whether President Ramaphosa will bow to pressure and appoint a new, politically palatable ambassador or double down on Jonas, remains to be seen.

{Source: IOL}

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