Keep it local

Rozario Brown, Mouille Point

South Africa is a proud and sovereign nation, forged in the crucible of struggle and defined by its unyielding resilience.

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20, his administration has undertaken a series of hostile actions that target not only our country but the dignity of our people.

The humiliation of our President Cyril Ramaphosa during a White House visit, televised to a global audience, was a calculated affront.

More alarmingly, the United States has now withdrawn vital support from South Africa’s life-saving antiretroviral programme - an act as callous as it is politically motivated.

Most recently, Trump imposed a punitive 30 percent tariff on all South African goods entering the US, thinly veiled under the guise of trade policy.

Yet the world can see clearly: these actions are retaliatory, driven by South Africa’s moral and legal stance against the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Our government’s bold leadership at the International Court of Justice has struck a global chord -and incurred Trump’s vindictive wrath.

But if our history under apartheid has taught us anything, it is this: South Africans are unbreakable. In the face of adversity, we rise.

It is now imperative that ordinary South Africans respond—not with anger, but with purpose.

Let us launch a nationwide “Buy Local” campaign, urging citizens to purchase only South African-made products.

In doing so, we bolster our economy, safeguard jobs, and build a more self-reliant nation.

Just as millions of Canadians are now boycotting US - made goods in protest, so too must we.

Let us collectively reject American-made vehicles, food, electronics, and other products.

Avoid buying tickets for any American artists coming to perform in this country. 

Let every citizen become an advocate - on social media, in communities, at schools and workplaces.

his must be a grassroots movement, initiated from the ground up, with or without formal government support.

Let us seize this moment to assert our dignity, rally the continent and inspire similar movements across Africa.

Together, we can turn Donald Trump’s hostility into an opportunity - to rebuild, to reimagine, and to reaffirm our commitment to putting South Africa first.