Trump South Africa: What Happened with over 67,000 White South Africans Asking for Refugee Status

In early 2025, a surprising story emerged linking Donald Trump and South Africa. Now, over 67,000 white South Africans are reportedly interested in applying for a U.S. asylum deal. This article explains everything clearly and in simple terms.

What Did Trump Say About South Africa?

Former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February that caught global attention. In the order, Trump claimed that white South Africans, especially a group called Afrikaners, were being treated unfairly by their own government. He said these people were victims of racial discrimination, especially because of South Africa’s new land reform law.

Trump said the South African government was allowing or encouraging the seizure of land from white farmers without compensation, and that this was causing unfair suffering. He focused on Afrikaners, who are mainly descendants of Dutch and French settlers and are part of South Africa’s white minority.

Because of this, Trump said he wanted to help Afrikaners by giving them a chance to apply for refugee status in the U.S. He also cut U.S. financial aid to South Africa and asked the U.S. State Department to give priority to white South Africans in this new program.

How Did South Africans React?

After Trump’s announcement, the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (SACCUSA) said it was flooded with requests for information. The chamber eventually collected a list of 67,042 names of white South Africans who were interested in moving to the United States under Trump’s refugee offer.

Most of these people were between 25 and 45 years old and had children. However, SACCUSA made it clear that this was not an official application list—only the U.S. government could officially register refugee applications.

What Was the South African Government’s Response?

The South African government strongly denied Trump’s claims. Officials said no land had been seized yet under the new law, and they called Trump’s comments misleading. They explained that the land reform law was meant to fix the long-standing imbalance in land ownership left over from apartheid, where most land is still owned by the white minority.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the law was constitutional and fair, and no one had been forced off their land.

Other Political Tensions

Trump's actions also added pressure to the relationship between the U.S. and South Africa. The Trump administration accused South Africa of supporting terrorist groups like Hamas and blamed the country for siding against Israel at the United Nations. The U.S. even expelled South Africa’s ambassador, calling him anti-American and anti-Trump.

What's Happening Now?

So far, no official refugee applications have been processed. The U.S. Embassy in South Africa said it received the list from the Chamber of Commerce but is still waiting for instructions from the U.S. government.

Neil Diamond, president of SACCUSA, said his group is not responsible for refugee processing and that people need to wait for guidance from U.S. authorities.

Summary

To summarize the “Trump South Africa” situation:

• Trump accused South Africa of unfairly treating white landowners.

• He offered refugee status to white South Africans, especially Afrikaners.

• Over 67,000 people expressed interest in moving to the U.S.

• The South African government denied Trump’s claims, calling them false.

• The U.S. Embassy is waiting on next steps.

• Political tension between the two countries has increased.