How South Africa strikes new deals with China to counter trade pressures from the United States
By Lailla Mutajogera
It seems South Africa is countering trade pressures from the United States by hatching a new deal with China
It all started like this. Washington blinked. Beijing smiled.
And in between the two, Pretoria made a choice.
Now, for people who are deeply focused on connecting investors to Africa, here’s how observers see it … This is not just a trade deal! It’s a signal of Africa’s leverage.
And as far as experts are concerned, the numbers that stand out are staggering.
Trade between China and South Africa is already worth more than USD 24 billion.
There is a new target, which hasnow been set at USD 30 billion plus for the next 18 months.
That’s 25 percent growth, at the time when the global trade is crawling at 3 percent.
The United States hit South African auto exports with 15 percent tariffs in the year 2025.
China responded with the opposite tariff relief of up to 30 percent on agriculture, minerals, and industrial goods.
Experts’ perspective
For decades, Africa has been reacting to trade terms set by others.
Deals like this suggest something bigger, that is African countries are now learning to play power against power.
But here’s the fine print that observers feel investors should watch…
China offers access, but Beijing also creates dependence.
On the other hand, the United States applies pressure, but the U.S forces diversification.
South Africa is positioning itself as a test case for how Africa negotiates its place in a multipolar world.
For investors, observers’ views are simple; this is an opportunity but only for those who understand the balance.
Agriculture, mining, and manufacturing stand to gain the most from this deal.
The question is whether businesses will use it to scale independently, or just lean more heavily on Beijing.
But the real question which people need to ponder, is Africa finally taking control of its trade future or just choosing a different dependency? Turning from leaning on the west to sleeping in the east?