The United States has introduced visa restrictions targeting some South Africans over policies Washington says discriminate against Afrikaners and other minorities, opening a new front in an already strained relationship between the two countries.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting South Africans it considers responsible for policies involving racial discrimination, uncompensated land seizures, or incitement of violence against minority groups.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the policy on September 15, saying Washington believed the South African government had failed to adequately address its concerns.

No individuals affected by the restrictions were publicly identified. The move does not amount to a general visa ban on South African citizens. Instead, it targets individuals whom the US government determines are responsible for or complicit in specific policies or actions identified by Washington.

South Africa has rejected the US government’s characterization of its domestic policies, arguing that its laws are intended to address inequalities created by centuries of racial discrimination and apartheid.

Why Is the US Restricting Visas for South Africans?

The latest restrictions form part of a wider dispute between President Donald Trump’s administration and South Africa over race, land reform and foreign policy.

Rubio said the visa policy would apply to foreign nationals involved in implementing laws or policies that Washington says enable:

• race-based discrimination;
• land seizures without compensation; or
• incitement of imminent violence against racial or ethnic minorities.

Certain family members could also be covered by the restrictions.

Washington has particularly focused on the treatment of Afrikaners, a predominantly white South African community descended largely from Dutch, French, and German settlers.

The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that Afrikaners and other minorities face racial discrimination in South Africa.

Pretoria strongly disputes that characterization.

South Africa Rejects US Claims

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation responded by accusing Washington of misrepresenting the country’s domestic policies.

Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said South Africa has a sovereign right to enact legislation aimed at addressing the country’s history of racial injustice.

The government argues that policies intended to expand economic opportunities and redistribute land must be understood within the context of apartheid, when South Africa’s Black majority was systematically denied political and economic rights.

Pretoria said it remained committed to addressing inequality through constitutional institutions, democratic processes, and the rule of law.

It also called for differences with Washington to be addressed through diplomatic engagement.

Land Reform Remains a Major Source of Disagreement

South Africa’s land policies have become one of the biggest points of tension between Pretoria and Washington.

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law in January 2025.

The legislation allows the government to acquire property for public purposes or in the public interest and provides for nil compensation in certain circumstances.

The Trump administration has characterized the law as a threat to property rights and has repeatedly raised concerns about the treatment of white farmers.

South Africa rejects claims that the law amounts to indiscriminate land confiscation.

Land ownership remains deeply unequal more than three decades after the end of apartheid, making redistribution one of the country’s most politically sensitive issues.

US-South Africa Relations Have Deteriorated

The visa restrictions are the latest in a series of disputes between Washington and Pretoria.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has criticized South Africa’s domestic race policies and its foreign policy positions.

His administration has previously cut US assistance to South Africa and established a refugee program for Afrikaners and other South African minorities it considers victims of discrimination.

Washington has also criticized South Africa over its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, another issue that has strained relations between the two countries.

The dispute has increasingly moved beyond political rhetoric into concrete diplomatic measures.

Pretoria Faces the Possibility of Further US Action

The latest visa policy may not be the final measure taken by Washington.

US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III indicated that the restrictions were the first step in a broader response. South Africa, meanwhile, has continued to defend its sovereignty and its right to pursue policies aimed at correcting historical inequality. That leaves two governments with sharply different interpretations of the same issue.

Washington argues that some South African policies discriminate against minorities and threaten property rights.

Pretoria says those policies are constitutional measures intended to address the continuing economic consequences of apartheid.

The new visa restrictions show that the disagreement is no longer confined to rhetoric.

With Washington signaling the possibility of additional measures and Pretoria refusing to abandon its domestic transformation agenda, US-South Africa relations are entering another period of heightened diplomatic tension.