South Africa has formally demarched US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III for a record third time, a sharp move short of expulsion. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni addressed the standoff at a government briefing in Pretoria on September 29. A senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that Ambassador Bozell was called in over what Pretoria calls "undiplomatic conduct". The department did not specify the conduct, but the timing suggests it relates to Bozell's public statements faulting President Cyril Ramaphosa's reply to Donald Trump's August 27 message.
The US and South Africa have experienced strained relations, with Washington imposing a 30% tariff on many South African exports in August 2025, the highest on the continent. Sectoral duties of 25% on autos and 50% on steel and aluminium were also imposed. South African vehicle exports to the US fell by roughly three-quarters in 2025, according to the Institute for Security Studies. Although the US Supreme Court struck down the emergency-powers tariffs in February 2026, sectoral duties remain, and the AGOA trade preferences Congress restored are set to expire on December 31, 2026.
A fabricated genocide narrative has contributed to the tensions between the two nations. President Trump's February 2025 executive order accused South Africa of racial persecution of Afrikaners and unjust land confiscation. However, Reuters describes the claim of systemic persecution of white South Africans as false. The Expropriation Act has not been used to seize a farm, and a New York Times analysis found that most farm killings recorded between April 2020 and March 2024 were of Black workers.
The US has also created a fast lane for Afrikaner refugees, with the FY2026 ceiling of 7,500 raised to 17,500 in May under an "emergency" determination. On September 22, the administration notified Congress of another 17,500 places for FY2027, primarily for Afrikaners. Pretoria rejects the premise entirely, and the issue is part of the "Five Asks" presented by Washington in November 2025.
The "Five Asks" include demands that Pretoria not obstruct Afrikaner refugee processing, address land expropriation, condemn the "Kill the Boer" chant, improve rural safety, and demonstrate genuine non-alignment, notably on Iran. While Ambassador Bozell concedes two asks are resolved, Pretoria's answer was unambiguous: certain policies, such as Black Economic Empowerment, are embedded in legislation and cannot be removed by executive decision.
The Thabo Mbeki Foundation has released a paper arguing that the genocide claim is a fabrication and that the Afrikaner lobby groups who took it to the White House speak for a narrow interest. The paper warns that US backing for Afrikaner autonomy could entrench racial divisions and suggests that the campaign is aimed at dismantling redress. The foundation's paper provides an intellectual rebuttal to the US claims.
Despite the tensions, both capitals insist they are committed to resolving outstanding issues. However, neither showed any sign of movement on September 29. South Africa has said what it will not trade: its Constitution, its redress, and its minerals. The test now is whether the US can be made to hear Pretoria's concerns and find a resolution to the strained relations.
Key points
- South Africa has summonsed US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III for a record third time in nine months over "undiplomatic conduct".
- The US and South Africa have experienced strained relations, including tariffs and a fabricated genocide narrative.
- Pretoria has declined to mirror Washington's expulsion of an ambassador, instead opting for a demarche.
