From ‘dangerous mess’ to G20 boycott – Trump’s long war on South Africa

US President Donald Trump again criticised South Africa this week, stating the country "shouldn't even be in the G's anymore." He also announced his decision not to attend the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit, which Johannesburg is scheduled to host later this month.

Speaking at a business forum in Miami, Trump accused South Africa of “going in the wrong direction” and suggested the country’s domestic and foreign policies had undermined its standing among major economies.

But this is not the first time Trump has launched verbal missives at South Africa and Africa. Yet despite his dangerous rhetoric in the country, it remains high on the list, with thousands of Americans visiting South Africa.

In 2024, the United States overtook the United Kingdom as South Africa’s primary source market. This is supported by a June 2025 statement from the South African government, indicating that arrivals from the US have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

They added that, in the first four months of 2025 alone, South Africa welcomed 111,491 visitors from the USA.

Meanwhile, the latest Statistics South Africa data revealed that 372,362 tourists from the US visited South Africa in 2024, reflecting a 5.2% increase from 2023 to 2024.

Here are some of the things the US President has said in the past about the continent 

Trump's early thoughts on South Africa:

In early 2015, long before his presidency could be taken seriously, Trump tweeted about South Africa's security situation, declaring it a “dangerous mess”.

He made it clear he was no fan of the country’s security situation, tweeting: “As I have long been saying, South Africa is a total - and very dangerous - mess.” It echoed a tweet from 2013: “I really like Nelson Mandela, but South Africa is a crime-ridden mess that is just waiting to explode-not a good situation for the people!"

South Africa: Fast forward to 2025 - the land of white oppression and land expropriation

These views again found a concrete home when Trump signed an Executive Order to address "serious human rights violations" occurring in South Africa.

He alleged land seizures from white farmers in South Africa, dismissively characterising the Land Expropriation Act as "a massive human rights violation".

This sparked widespread condemnation and underscored an alarming disconnection from the current socio-political landscape in South Africa.

Many condemned his characterisation, which risked deepening existing racial tensions rooted in the country’s apartheid history. He even offered Afrikaans farmers refuge in the US.

Namibia: A made-up country

The term "Nambia", a bizarre mispronunciation of Namibia during a luncheon with African leaders in 2017, further epitomised Trump's disconnection with the continent.

"Nambia's health system is increasingly self-sufficient," he proclaimed, leaving observers puzzled and bemused. Was he referring to Namibia, Zambia, or perhaps something else entirely?

Social media users quickly capitalised on the gaffe, turning it into a bizarre phenomenon.

Africa and Haiti: “Sh#thole countries"

Trump's alleged remarks escalated to a series of highly controversial statements in 2018 when he infamously labelled African nations and Haiti as “sh#thole countries”.

The fallout was immediate and wide-reaching, with international organisations and governments expressing outrage.

The UN human rights office said the comments, if confirmed, were "shocking and shameful" and "racist", while Haiti's foreign minister summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires Robin Diallo for clarification.

Botswana also condemned the remarks and summoned the US Ambassador to Botswana to express its displeasure at the alleged utterances.

Lesotho: An unknown country

Trump also mocked the African nation of Lesotho as “a country nobody has ever heard of”, during a Congress address, reinforcing a narrative of ignorance towards African nations by questioning their recognition and significance on the global stage.

Despite these pervasive misconceptions, the appetite among Americans for African adventures remains strong. And tourism to South Africa is flourishing. 

Social media has become a platform where Africans actively debunk myths and portray the myriad realities of contemporary life on the continent.

Authentic portrayals of urban life, vibrant cultures, and successful infrastructure initiatives are reshaping perceptions, proving that reality is far more complex than the one-dimensional narratives propagated by influential figures.

• South Africa is currently serving as president of the G20 for the 2024–2025 term - the first African nation ever to do so - and is set to host world leaders in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23

South Africa joined the G20 in 1999 and remains the only African member of the forum, which brings together the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies to discuss international financial and development issues.