A newly introduced United States Senate bill aiming to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for two years has sparked fresh diplomatic tension by proposing the explicit removal of South Africa from the trade programme.
The legislation, introduced by Republican Senator John Kennedy, comes at a sensitive time, following AGOA’s official expiration at the end of September, which marked the conclusion of a 25-year framework that has shaped trade between the US and multiple African economies.
The bill, named the AGOA Extension and Bilateral Engagement Act or AGOA 2.0, was submitted to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Finance, though no further action has been taken.
Its introduction coincided with a 43-day US government shutdown, which delayed legislative activity. The proposal surfaced during a briefing to South Africa’s parliamentary portfolio committee by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Officials told lawmakers that trade negotiations with Washington are ongoing and highlighted strong bipartisan support for renewing AGOA among both Republicans and Democrats.
According to the department, the White House has signalled support for a shorter, one-year renewal. “It is expected that AGOA renewal will be a rollover of current AGOA benefits with existing members, meaning that SA may be retained in the programme,” the department noted.
However, it did not mention that Senator Kennedy’s version specifically excludes South Africa.
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Senator Kennedy argued that AGOA should only be extended to African nations that “support US interests,” insisting that South Africa’s geopolitical position requires reevaluation.
He framed the bill as a tool to counter China’s economic influence across the continent. “China is using Africa to expand its influence at America’s expense.
We need to rethink our relationships in the region while strengthening trade with African countries that share our values,” he said, adding that AGOA must work for “America’s interests, not against them.”
If enacted, AGOA 2.0 would revive the trade programme for two years and require Washington to pursue bilateral agreements with selected African partners.
The bill emphasises conditions such as democratic governance, human rights protections, and anticorruption measures.
It also incorporates Kennedy’s earlier US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, which calls for a comprehensive assessment of Pretoria’s relationship with Beijing and Moscow.
South Africa now faces imminent exclusion from AGOA. The Senate bill mirrors a similar proposal introduced in the US House of Representatives in April but goes further by explicitly calling for South Africa’s removal.
It requires the US President to certify whether South Africa undermines American national security and mandates a classified list of South African officials who could face sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act.
Crucially, it would end South Africa’s eligibility for AGOA altogether. This represents the third attempt by US Republicans to penalise South Africa for its international alignments, with relations between the two governments increasingly strained since the Trump administration took office.
Tensions escalated at the weekend’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, where the US boycotted proceedings and pressed South Africa to avoid issuing a leaders’ declaration.
Pretoria joined other G20 members in adopting the declaration, a move widely viewed as a diplomatic snub to Washington.
In a further point of friction, South Africa rejected a request for President Cyril Ramaphosa to hand over the G20 gavel directly to the US charge d’affaires, with the handover now expected to take place quietly on 25 November.
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Image Credit: Melanie Verwoerd
