Next Africa: Villain to victor

US court ruling effectively cuts tariffs on South African goods

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Welcome to Next Africa, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it's headed. Sign up here to have it delivered to your email. South Africa is a surprise beneficiary of the latest chaos to envelop global commerce. Donald Trump's announcement of a blanket charge on America's imports should effectively halve duties on a range of goods, including farm produce, from Africa's biggest economy, bringing them in line with those imposed on global competitors. The reduction stems from a US Supreme Court ruling that the president overstepped his authority when he invoked an emergency law to impose his so-called Liberation Day tariffs, with rates determined in part by politics. A new 10% global tariff went into effect on Tuesday and the White House is working on a formal order to increase it to 15%. Containers at the Cape Town port in May 2024. Photographer: Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg Trump has lambasted South Africa at every turn since he returned to office just over a year ago. He's accused President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration of siding with America's geopolitical foes and falsely claimed that it's subjecting White farmers to a genocide. Besides hitting Pretoria with the highest tariffs in sub-Saharan Africa, he cut aid and ordered a boycott of a Group of 20 heads-of-state summit in Johannesburg last year. While South Africa has put on a brave face, saying farm shipments to the US only fell 3% last year, the tariffs have begun to bite, with exports slumping two fifths in the final quarter. Sales of products ranging from wine and berries to ostrich meat dipped as rivals such as Peru, Australia and Chile won market share. "The 15% tariff will be a great relief," said Wandile Sihlobo, Ramaphosa's newly appointed agriculture envoy. "We will likely be competitive in the US market again." The court ruling probably won't spell an end to Trump's antagonism toward Pretoria, though, and he has other weapons to wage trade wars. "I can use Licenses to do absolutely "terrible" things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades," the president said in a Truth Social post. That may well re-energize exporters to find new markets. Among their first ports of call will be China, which has agreed to drop tariffs on all produce from Africa and is portraying itself as a more reliable trading partner than the US. For now, being the villain in Trump's eyes has worked in South Africa's favor as it has no trade deal to honor. — Antony Sguazzin Key stories and opinion: Trump Boosts New Tariff Rate to 15% a Day After Announcing 10% Global Trade Confusion Returns as Trump Overhauls Tariff Toolkit Trump's Options After the Supreme Court Said His Tariffs Are Illegal The Supreme Court Just Did Congress' Job on Trade Tariffs South Africa Urges Longer US-Africa Trade Program Extension News Roundup  US lawmakers probing claims of persecution of Christians in Nigeria said the West African nation should repeal Sharia and anti-blasphemy laws to help counter extremist violence. Representatives from two House committees also recommended that a US-Nigeria security pact be agreed "to protect vulnerable Christian communities and dismantle jihadist networks." As many as 12 states in northern Nigeria have the laws in place and the demand that they be revoked will trigger a strong push-back from the Muslim community. Buildings hit by US strikes aimed at militants in northern Nigeria in December. Photographer: Abiodun Jamiu/AFP/Getty Images When Turkey's Cagri Bey deep-sea drilling vessel set off for Somalia last week, it marked the latest manifestation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ambitions in Africa. Joint oil-and-gas exploration off the Somali coast is a crucial development in Ankara's aims to diversify energy sources. It also represents a new domain of Turkish investment across the continent, where its steadily widened its footprint for the past two decades by building out civic infrastructure and expanding arms sales and military aid. Russia sent food aid to cyclone-hit Madagascar days after its new leader met with President Vladimir Putin. Two planes carrying rice, beans and sunflower oil landed in the capital, Antananarivo, on Monday, according to the Russian embassy in the Indian Ocean island nation. Madagascan President Michael Randrianirina, who came to power in a coup, last week broke with tradition by visiting Russia rather than former colonial power France on his first official trip abroad.  Putin and Randrianirina in Moscow on Feb. 19. Photographer: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AFP/Getty Images The Democratic Republic of Congo's president replaced the top officials at the influential state-owned copper and cobalt mining company. Felix Tshisekedi named Deogratias Ngele Masudi as the chairman of Gecamines and Baraka Kabemba as the CEO. The firm holds minority stakes in mines controlled by international heavyweights, including CMOC Group and Glencore. Masudi is a former justice minister, while Kabemba is a partner at consultancy firm EY. South Africa's has secured the release of the remaining citizens whose families said they were duped into fighting for Russia. Four men arrived back in the country last week, 11 are due to return soon, one has been hospitalized and another is preparing to travel, the presidency said. The men, who were recruited with the help of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, were told they would be trained as bodyguards but were forced to sign military contracts, according to their families..  Jacob Zuma and his daughter Duduzile in 2025. Source: Bloomberg Mozambique expects to secure about $10 billion in financing from the World Bank in coming years to support economic growth and job creation. The government will receive $6 billion from the lender through 2031, and another $4 billion from the World Bank's private-sector arm, Finance Minister Carla Louveira said. The International Monetary Fund last week warned that the southeastern African nation is grappling with an acute fiscal squeeze and mounting debt arrears. Thank you for your responses to our weekly Next Africa Quiz and congratulations to Andrew Warambo, who was first to correctly identify Gabon as the African nation whose media regulator suspended social-media platforms as the government faces protests over high living costs. Chart of the Week Somalia offered to renew a deal that allows the US to access its ports and airports for military purposes, countering a similar proposal by the breakaway Somaliland region. Somalia is strategically located at the gateway to the Red Sea and lies in close proximity to Yemen, home to Houthi rebels that threaten key shipping routes. In recent decades, US engagement with the country has centered on counter-terrorism operations. More From Bloomberg Enjoying Next Africa? 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