The United States has announced additional visa restrictions aimed at foreign nationals it believes are involved in or liable for inciting violence, racial prejudice, and uncompensated land expropriation in South Africa.
In a statement released on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the policy as being implemented in accordance with Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The policy targets foreign individuals who are involved in the adoption or execution of laws or policies that according to the US, permit racial discrimination, uncompensated land expropriation, or the inciting of impending violence against racial or ethnic minorities in South Africa.
According to Rubio, the decision was made in response to worries expressed by the administration of President Donald Trump on what it called “racially motivated criminality” and “government-sponsored discrimination” against Afrikaners and other minorities in South Africa.
He charged that the US administration’s concerns were not sufficiently addressed by the South African government.
Rubio claimed that the targeted acts were inconsistent with US foreign policy and threatened economic stability, peace, and the rule of law.
The Secretary of State also asked the South African government to address what Washington described as the “egregious conduct” behind the new policy.
The US said Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorised the visa restrictions. The provision allows the Secretary of State to deem a foreign national inadmissible if their entry into the country could have potentially serious adverse effects on US foreign policy.
Backstory…
The latest US visa restrictions are the newest escalation in a long-running dispute between Washington and Pretoria over South Africa’s post-apartheid policies, particularly land reform, race-based legislation and allegations of discrimination against Afrikaners.
Prior to this, Trump issued Executive Order 14204, directing US policy toward South Africa and citing issues brought up by his administration, including land expropriation.
The tension intensified after President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025. His administration accused South Africa of pursuing policies that unfairly disadvantage white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, and criticised the country’s plans to allow the state to expropriate land without compensation in certain circumstances.
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