Close to 70,000 South Africans have shown interest in moving to the United States following a proposal by President Donald Trump to resettle members of the Afrikaner community. The South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (Saccusa) revealed that its website received tens of thousands of registrations from people seeking more information about the resettlement offer.
In a February executive order, President Trump offered refugees status to Afrikaners, the descendants of Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th century, citing their status as victims of racial discrimination. This move is part of broader tensions between the US and South Africa, which have escalated since Trump became president.
Saccusa, a group representing South African businesspeople in the US, took action after being flooded with inquiries. The organization handed over the list of interested individuals to the US embassy in Pretoria. The embassy has confirmed receiving the list, which includes 67,042 registrations, most from individuals with Afrikaner or English names. These individuals are primarily between 25 and 45 years old, with two to three dependents.
The business group emphasized that it was not involved in the resettlement process as an official government body but got involved due to the overwhelming interest from people wanting to learn about the opportunity.
The offer from Trump comes amid rising tensions between the US and South Africa. The situation worsened in January when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill into law allowing land expropriation without compensation in the public interest, particularly aimed at redistributing farmland from the white minority. This move led to Trump criticizing South Africa’s land reform policy and offering refuge to Afrikaners, whom he described as “escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”
In March, Trump extended the invitation to all South African farmers, calling the country “a bad place to be right now,” and in response to the land reform law, he cut aid to South Africa. However, President Ramaphosa clarified that the bill was designed to ensure equitable access to land and that no land had yet been seized.
The political tensions between the US and South Africa have escalated further, with the US recently expelling South Africa’s ambassador in Washington. This diplomatic dispute highlights the ongoing strains between the two countries over issues of race, land reform, and national identity.