Now that Donald Trump is US president-elect there is widespread speculation over what that means for Pretoria and the South African economy.
In the months leading up to the vote there were fears, not all unjustified, that a Republican victory would spell gloom and doom for President Cyril Ramaphosa's government.
The hawks within the Republican Party in the US Congress were not happy with some of the geopolitical positions South Africa had taken.
These include Israel’s war on Gaza, which the government vehemently opposes while the US sponsors it through the supply of arms and political support.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine also strained Pretoria’s relations with Washington, where its “non-alignment” policy was seen by some as a fig leaf to cover support for President Vladimir Putin’s illegal action.
The ascendancy of the Republican Party on the back of Trump’s popularity among US voters has heightened these fears.
Many believe the government will have to work hard to ensure that South Africa is not removed from the list of countries receiving duty-free access to US markets for some products through the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa).
Though it is still early days for predicting Trump’s attitude to South Africa and the continent as a whole, indications are that it may not all be doom and gloom after all.
Trump, who seems keen on striking a deal between Kyiv and the Kremlin to end the war, may find South Africa’s approach to the conflict in line with his own thinking.
However, the new US administration would probably pressure South Africa to ease up on its stance against the Israeli government on the Palestinian issue. The Agoa threat may be used to exert pressure, but that does not mean it is a given that South Africa will be kicked out of the trade agreement if it does not adjust its stance.
Given that South Africa takes over the leadership of the G20 this December and will be succeeded by the US after next year’s summit here, the two countries may find themselves forging even stronger relations to ensure a smooth transition.
All of this is not to say there will be no tensions. How can there be none when emerging economies such as ours are about to suffer from a trade war that is likely to ensue between Trump’s US and China? But what is important is that there are many reasons to believe that the relationship will survive.
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