South Africa is the most race regulated country in the world. And it's getting worse. More regulations that completely exclude white South Africans. Time for harsh international condemnation.

This is bad news for South Africa as one of the weaker, more vulnerable economies in Brics. Iran should never have become a member. South Africa would be making a big mistake by aligning itself, through Brics, with the reckless, hardliners who have now taken control in Tehran. This could finally alienate the US and turn scepticism about SA in Europe and elsewhere into negative action. Not to mention the Arab world which is also broadly negative about Iran. Time for a cool-headed foreign policy - an ability that the ideologues in South Africa's diplomatic service have not had for a long time. cnbc.com/2026/08/13/iran-war…

*Solidarity welcomes AGOA extension; US visit bears fruit* 15 August 2026 Solidarity welcomes the US Senate’s approval of a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until the end of December 2028. The Senate approved the extension this past week as part of a funding bill. Although it still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives and subsequently signed by the US president, no immediate obstacles are anticipated. However, AGOA allows the White House to revise the list of beneficiary countries annually, and it remains possible that President Trump could adjust the current list of 32 participating countries before next year. The extension is nevertheless good news for South Africans. The Solidarity Movement, including Solidarity and AfriForum, recently sent a delegation to Washington, DC, to garner support for such an extension. It now appears that this visit has borne fruit. During the recent visit to the US, the delegation met with senior officials, members of Congress and other role players to discuss, among other matters, AGOA. According to Jaco Kleynhans, Head of Public Liaison at Solidarity, the discussions focused on highlighting the economic importance of AGOA to ordinary South Africans, workers and businesses, and on ensuring that South Africa’s participation is not jeopardised. “American consumers also benefit from high-quality South African products sold at highly competitive prices in the US market. “We therefore welcome the Senate’s decision to extend AGOA for two years after we spent two weeks meeting with numerous senators on this issue. “This provides important certainty for South African exporters and the thousands of ordinary South Africans whose jobs depend on it,” says Kleynhans. The Solidarity Movement remains concerned, however, that the strained relationship between South Africa and the US could pose risks to South Africa’s continued participation in AGOA. Despite AGOA’s extension, the White House could still remove countries from the list of beneficiaries or add other countries before January 2027. Kleynhans says there are still many individuals in Washington who believe that South Africa should no longer be part of AGOA from next year. “Without concrete steps to repair the bilateral relationship and address policy concerns, the risk of exclusion remains significant. “Solidarity will therefore continue its efforts in Washington and locally to protect South Africa’s trade interests and to press for improved relations with the US. “We reiterate our call on the South African government to work constructively to repair its relationship with the United States in order to prevent economic harm to workers and businesses,” says Kleynhans. In the meantime, Solidarity will continue its discussions with the White House to ensure that South Africa is not removed as an AGOA beneficiary. Spokesperson: Jaco Kleynhans Head of Public Liaison: Solidarity