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South Africans travelling to the United States could face further visa restrictions under a new policy announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week.
Announced on 15 September 2026, the policy targets those whom the US says are responsible for, or complicit in, laws or policies enabling uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination, or the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa.
This comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Pretoria over South Africa’s domestic policies, including legislation addressing racial inequality and land reform.
South Africa has repeatedly rejected the US administration's characterisation of these policies.
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Who could be affected?
It’s important to note that the new policy doesn’t impose a blanket visa restriction on all South Africans travelling to the US.
Instead, the US says it will use Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict entry for foreign nationals considered responsible for, or complicit in, the specified policies or actions.
The US State Department also says certain family members may be covered by the restrictions. However, they don’t provide a public list of individuals who are currently subject to the new policy.
The Trump administration says it remains concerned about what it describes as “racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination” against Afrikaners and other minority populations in South Africa.
It specifically points to race-based legislation, proposed land expropriation without compensation, and what it describes as the incitement of racial violence through “dehumanizing chants and slogans”.
Rubio says, “The United States will not allow such behaviour to go unchecked.”
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South Africa pushes back
South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has rejected the US position. In a statement, he says the new restrictions amount to a unilateral action based on what the South African government describes as a mischaracterisation of its domestic policies.
Lamola said South Africa's laws are intended to address the legacy of racial inequality, noting: “It is our sovereign right to put in place laws that address the nation’s concern over centuries of racial injustice.”
South Africa also pointed to its Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act 16 of 2023, which establishes a legal framework for dealing with hate speech and hate crimes.
Lamola said South Africa respects that the US may take different views on particular policies, but that disagreements should be addressed through democratic and diplomatic channels.
“We maintain that challenges in our bilateral relations with the USA can only be resolved by constructive engagement through state actors on both sides of the diplomatic channel, not unilateral acts.”
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What does this mean for South Africans travelling to the US?
For most South Africans, the announcement does not amount to a blanket ban on travel to the United States. The new policy is targeted at foreign nationals who fall within the criteria set out by the US government.
For South Africans planning a US trip, existing visa requirements still apply, while anyone concerned that the new policy could affect their individual circumstances should check the latest information from the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa before making travel arrangements.
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