Nearly 70,000 South Africans have shown interest in relocating to the United States after an offer from Washington to take in members of the Afrikaner community, according to a business organization.
The South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (Saccusa) reported that its online platform saw a flood of registrations from people wanting details about the move.
In a February directive, President Donald Trump declared that Afrikaners—whose ancestors were mostly Dutch settlers from the 17th century—could enter the US as refugees, citing them as targets of “unfair racial bias.”
Ties between the US and South Africa have grown tense since Trump took office in January.
Saccusa described the handover of the list of interested people to the US embassy in Pretoria as a “key move.”
A spokesperson from the embassy told the BBC that the list had indeed been delivered.
Of the 67,042 individuals who signed up on Saccusa’s website, the majority had Afrikaner or English surnames, according to Neil Diamond, the group’s president.
Saccusa, which supports South African entrepreneurs in the US, noted that most of those eager to migrate were between 25 and 45 years old, typically with two or three family members relying on them.
The organization, though not a government entity, stepped into the process unexpectedly after being overwhelmed with inquiries about resettlement, Diamond explained to Newzroom Afrika.
Certain white South Africans argue they face unfair treatment, a grievance that has gained traction among conservative circles in the US.
At the same time, the white minority in South Africa still controls most of the nation’s privately owned land and riches, even decades after apartheid’s collapse.
Friction between the two nations flared in January when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa enacted a law permitting the government to take land without payment if it served the “public good.”
The decision came after prolonged demands for land reform, with advocates pushing to shift farmland away from the white minority.
Reacting to the legislation, Trump issued the order granting Afrikaners refugee status, saying they were fleeing “state-backed racial prejudice.”
In March, the US leader broadened the offer to include all South African farmers, calling the country “a tough spot to be in now.”
Last month, he slashed financial assistance to South Africa.
Ramaphosa hit back at Trump’s remarks, insisting no land had been taken and that the law promotes “fair and equal land access as outlined in the constitution.”
Even so, the rift between the nations has deepened. Just last week, the US removed South Africa’s ambassador from Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio labelling him a “divisive figure stirring racial tensions.”
