Is South Africa drifting from Washington to Beijing?

South Africa's decision to sign the China–Africa Economic Partnership Agreementmarks a significant shift in its trade landscape. The deal allows a wide range of South African goods to enter China duty-free, potentially boosting exports to one of the world's largest consumer markets. It comes as the US renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for only one year, creating uncertainty for exporters who rely on preferential access to the US. With Washington's trade policies seen as increasingly unpredictable and Beijing expanding its economic footprint across Africa, Pretoria faces mounting pressure to balance longstanding ties with the US against deepening engagement with China, now its largest trading partner.