The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was supposed to bring prosperity to African nations when it was signed into law in 2000.

South Africa was well-placed to benefit from the AGOA, which provides eligible countries with tariff-free access to US markets.

Not only had it recently become a democracy, the country possessed the continent's biggest and most industrialized economy, and had maintained links to the United States, even during apartheid.

Yet, 25 years later, US President Donald Trump has South Africa in its crosshairs, and the AGOAhas not yet been addressed.

The Trump administration has threatened to cut all aid to South Africa over a recently passed land reform bill that he views as potentially harmful to the country's white minority, who own most of the country's farmland.

Separately, Republicanshave called on Trump to punish South Africa for leading a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of "genocidal" acts in its Gaza offensive, which Israel has denied.

Trump supporters also accuse South Africa of bowing to China's demands to relocate Taiwan's de facto embassy outside of the administrative capital, Pretoria.

AGOA membership comes up for review every year, and it is the American president's call to renew the trade agreement or not. Even before Trump came to power, South African business leaders were concerned that the country's AGOA membership was in........

© Deutsche Welle