Good news for anyone with a South African passport – for now
The Trump administration has expanded its visa and travel bans, but South Africa is excluded despite new restrictions targeting countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
For now, South African passport holders can continue to travel to the United States without facing the new restrictions imposed on several other African nations.
In June 2025, the administration announced a travel ban affecting 19 nations, which broadened the scope of measures introduced during Trump’s first term.
It has now been reported that Washington is imposing similar restrictions on 36 additional countries, most of them in Africa.
A message from the US State Department instructed embassies and consulates in these nations to assess their governments’ willingness to improve citizens’ travel documentation and address the status of their nationals living in the US without legal authorisation.
The message gave these countries 60 days to respond, warning that failure to act could see them added to the list of banned nations, which currently stands at 12. Of the 36 countries being evaluated, 25 are in Africa.
The policy is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to clamp down on visa overstays and label arrivals from certain countries as potential security risks.
President Trump has repeatedly argued that some nations have inadequate screening and vetting systems or refuse to repatriate citizens who violate US immigration laws.
Some African countries are already feeling the impact. The US embassy in Zimbabwe confirmed it has halted all routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services, except for most diplomatic and official visas.
“The Trump Administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” the embassy said in a statement.
“We are always working to prevent visa overstay and misuse. Applicants with scheduled visa interviews will receive information once appointments can be rescheduled.”
South Africa toeing the line
The restrictions on Zimbabwe coincided with a new policy for Malawi and Zambia, requiring their citizens to pay a bond of between $5,000 and $15,000 to travel to the US.
The rule, effective from 20 August 2025, applies to those seeking B1/B2 visitor visas and deemed otherwise eligible.
Applicants must also submit a Department of Homeland Security bond agreement form and make payments through the US Treasury’s online system.
South Africa, however, has so far been spared from the expanded list of targeted countries. Professor Anthoni van Nieuwkerk from the University of South Africa believes the country is not in the immediate crosshairs.
However, he stressed that there are members of Congress in America who want to review the relationship with South Africa. He noted they see South Africa as an unfriendly country.
Van Nieuwkerk explained that if our trade talks fail completely, our ICJ case against Israel gets more attention, and BRICS becomes more bold, then the techniques such as the travel ban will be implemented for South Africa.
Despite these concerns, Pretoria remains optimistic about its diplomatic standing with Washington.
The South African government hopes that the recently imposed US import tariffs will be reconsidered after direct talks between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Trump.
The two leaders held a phone call on Wednesday to discuss trade relations, focusing on the tariffs that have alarmed South African exporters.
According to people close to the matter, Ramaphosa used the opportunity to raise the impact of the tariffs on local industries and jobs, emphasising the long-standing partnership between South Africa and the United States.
While the details of the discussion remain limited, the conversation was seen as a positive step in maintaining strong bilateral ties amid rising global trade tensions.
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