South Africans Urged to Prioritise US Business Plans Before Donald Trump’s Inauguration as President

• Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris in the race for the White House and will be the next president for the second time
• The SA Chamber of Commerce President Neil Diamond urged South Africans to finalise plans now
• Diamond believes that under Trump, the US could introduce reforms that affect trade and immigration

South Africans with business interests in the United States of America are urged to act now before Donald Trump officially becomes president.

Trump beat Kamala Harris in the recent elections to become the 47th President of the US. He officially takes over on 20 January 2025.

South Africans urged to finalise plans now

Looking ahead to Trump’s next term, SA Chamber of Commerce President Neil Diamond urged South Africans to act now.

The SA Chamber of Commerce in the US promotes trade investment and tourism between the two countries.

He explained that Trump’s "America First" approach could affect any plans that locals had.

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"Trump only officially takes over the Presidency on 20 January. Between now and then, South Africans must definitely execute and implement whatever plans they have in the short term and look at fast-tracking what was in the longer term. Try to do that within the next six months,” he said, adding that with the new policy reforms under Trump, it will be a US-first approach.

Trade and immigration could be affected

Diamond added that the most likely changes will come in the immigration and trade sectors. Regarding trade, Diamond said the new president would lean on his business acumen to negotiate deals that benefit the US. Regarding immigration, Diamond believes that Trump will introduce reforms that could potentially impact travel between the two countries.

Trump has previously expressed an interest in keeping all illegal foreigners out of the US but has been quiet on those who were there legally.

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SA students' experience being in the US

In a related article, Briefly News reported that two South Africans shared what it was like to be in the United States during the election hype.

Takalani Molaoa and Monthati Masebe, two students in the country, spoke about their experiences during the elections. Molaoa was concerned about what would happen to foreigners once Trump took over.

Source: Briefly News