International | The Telegram

How South Africa could harness Donald Trump’s wrath

Talk of “white genocide” is baseless. But some American pressure could be helpful

An illustration of a large US flag-themed pin next to a smaller South African flag on the map of South Africa.
Illustration: Chloe Cushman
|5 min read

NO SAILOR LIKES a hurricane. But if the alternative is drifting in the doldrums without hope, even vicious gales have their uses. As South Africa is buffeted by criticism from President Donald Trump and other American conservatives—some of it unfair and pushed by bad-faith actors—centrist business and political leaders dream of riding that storm to hasten reforms.

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This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Harnessing the Trump-tempest”

From the July 5th 2025 edition

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