US ends PEPFAR HIV funding for South Africa over white‑farmer dispute

The U.S. State Department announced that the United States will phase out the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding to South Africa. The decision is linked to the South African government’s alleged failure to meet a series of policy requests, including protecting the white‑minority Afrikaner community, exempting U.S. companies from Black Economic Empowerment rules, and addressing an expropriation law. A State Department spokesperson said, “South Africa is a middle‑income country and is more than capable of supporting its own health programs.”

Funding under PEPFAR was about $400 million per year, roughly a fifth of South Africa’s HIV budget. More than eight million South Africans live with HIV, the highest number worldwide. The South African health ministry said it had not been officially notified of the cut but is working on a long‑term self‑reliance plan; it also noted that life‑saving antiretroviral drugs are financed domestically.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s claims of a “white genocide” against Afrikaner farmers, which the South African government has repeatedly rejected. The administration created a special refugee pathway for Afrikaners and has strained bilateral ties, including a U.S. boycott of the G20 summit hosted by South Africa. The funding withdrawal will be gradual, aiming to encourage greater South African self‑sufficiency.