The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting certain foreign nationals from South Africa over their alleged involvement in policies concerning uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination and the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the new policy on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, saying it would apply to individuals responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation of policies meeting those criteria.
The announcement was made under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the Secretary of State to restrict the admission of foreign nationals whose entry could have potentially serious adverse consequences for US foreign policy.
However, the measure does not amount to a blanket visa ban on South African citizens.
US officials have not publicly identified specific individuals who will be affected or disclosed how many people could be subject to the restrictions.
US cites land reform and racial policies
In announcing the policy, Rubio said Washington remained concerned about what the US administration described as racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination involving Afrikaners and other minority populations in South Africa.
The US also cited South African legislation and policies involving land expropriation without compensation, as well as rhetoric that Washington says could contribute to racial violence.
Rubio said the individuals targeted by the policy were those responsible for or complicit in policies enabling uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against minority groups.
Latest development in US-South Africa tensions
The visa restrictions represent another development in relations between Washington and Pretoria, which have become increasingly strained under US President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration has previously criticised South Africa over its land reform policies and its approach to racial inequality.
South African officials have rejected allegations that the country’s policies amount to persecution or discrimination against white South Africans, arguing that land reform is connected to the country’s history of apartheid and racial inequality.
The latest US action therefore adds a new immigration-related dimension to the diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
For ordinary South African travellers, the announcement does not mean that all South Africans are barred from obtaining or using US visas.
The restrictions are specifically directed at individuals who fall within the categories outlined by the US government.
