President Donald Trump has made the treatment of white South Africans a growing focus of U.S. foreign policy. But after the administration already cut aid, restricted South African officials and opened a refugee pathway for Afrikaners, Trump is once again escalating the pressure in response to disputed claims of “white genocide.”
In the latest escalation, the administration announced visa restrictions on South African foreign nationals it says are responsible for or complicit in policies involving uncompensated land seizures, racial discrimination and incitement of violence against minorities, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measure this week, saying visas will be revoked from foreign nationals involved in the alleged race-based discrimination. “The United States will not allow such behavior to go unchecked,” Rubio wrote in a statement. “These actions directly undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law, and they are incompatible with the pillars of America’s foreign policy.”
The latest action follows more than a year of escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the South African government.
RELATED: 15 South African Netflix Shows to Watch After ‘The Polygamist’
Trump’s Focus on Afrikaners
Trump has repeatedly raised concerns about the treatment of white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, the predominantly white Afrikaans-speaking population descended largely from European settlers. We told you in February 2025 that Trump issued an executive order accusing South Africa of discriminatory policies toward its white minority and criticizing legislation concerning land ownership.
The administration even reduced U.S. assistance to South Africa and took steps to admit white Afrikaners into the country as refugees, The Root also reported.
Trump has also repeatedly described violence against white farmers in South Africa as evidence of a broader campaign of persecution, at times using the term “genocide.” South African officials have rejected that characterization.
What the Actually Data Shows
South Africa has extremely high levels of violent crime, including attacks and murders on farms. White farmers have been among the victims.
However, researchers and fact-checkers have disputed the claim that these crimes constitute a coordinated campaign of genocide against white South Africans, we previously reported.
According to the World Bank Open Data, South Africa’s overall murder rate is among the highest in the world, and Black South Africans account for the overwhelming majority of homicide victims.
The dispute dates back to South Africa’s history of racial inequality.
Land and Apartheid
Under apartheid, which formally began in 1948 and ended with democratic elections in 1994, South African law restricted where Black people could live, work and own property. Large amounts of land were concentrated in the hands of the white minority.
South Africa’s post-apartheid governments have pursued land-reform policies intended to address those historical inequalities.
The Trump administration has characterized some of those policies as discriminatory toward white South Africans. Officials maintain that land reform is intended to address inequalities created by colonialism and apartheid and have rejected accusations that the government is targeting white citizens, AP News also reported.
The latest visa restrictions add another measure to the administration’s broader policy toward Pretoria.
The disagreement between the two governments now involves immigration, foreign aid, land policy and competing claims about racial discrimination and violence in South Africa. U.S. officials have suggested that additional measures could follow.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
