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Donald Trump’s assertion that White Afrikaners are being subject to a genocide in South Africa has thrust the small ethnic group onto the global stage. 

A recent gathering at the colossal, granite Voortrekker Monument — that marks a 19th century journey by Afrikaners to escape British rule — on a hill in Pretoria demonstrated once again the fallacy of the US president’s claim.

More than 6,000 attendees were there to celebrate the 200th birthday of Paul Kruger, a leader who embodied his people’s war against the British empire and later became a nationalist icon during the apartheid era. 

A couple wave the old South African flag at an event at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. Photographer: Lourens Reyneke/Bloomberg

While memorabilia commemorating Afrikaner rule was on open display at the Sept. 24 Heritage Day national holiday event, the Black-majority government allowed it to proceed unhindered. 

About 11% of South Africa’s 63 million people speak Afrikaans, although not all them are White, and after more than 30 years of democracy they rank among the country’s wealthiest individuals and hold top positions in business, academia and the judiciary. 

Crime directed against White farmers, language policies and affirmative-action laws meant to redress racial inequity have bred resentment in some corners of the community and has sparked claims it’s under siege.

Trump’s allegation that the group is being targeted — and his decision to offer them refugee status, even as his administration rejects asylum seekers from almost everywhere else — has given international voice to such concerns.

Cannon smoke shows the colors of an old Afrikaner nationalist flag. Photographer: Lourens Reyneke/Bloomberg

While people of all races struggle in South Africa, some Afrikaners are doing very well for themselves, according to JP Landman, an Afrikaans political analyst and author. 

“Are they being persecuted? No,” he said. “Is there a campaign against them? No. Are Trump’s allegations about the Afrikaners true? No.”

Those who attended the Pretoria event listened to Afrikaans music, performed traditional folk dances and drank beer out of glasses emblazoned with the words “Los my volk en bier,” which translates to: “Leave my people and beer alone.”

And they largely are, as South Africa grapples with problems ranging from rampant crime to gaping inequality and overcoming the racial divisions of its past. — René Vollgraaff and Antony Sguazzin

Key stories and opinion:
A Celebration of an Afrikaner Icon Belies Trump’s Genocide Claim 
How a White Fringe Group Drew Trump’s Ire on South Africa 
Trump Looks to Slash Refugee Count, Will Favor Afrikaners
Trump’s Genocide Claim Rakes Up South Africa’s Apartheid Past
Why South Africa’s Land Law Is at Heart of Trump Row: QuickTake 

The Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, an official sideline event of B20 South Africa 2025, convenes global leaders on Nov. 17 and 18 to address the critical issues shaping Africa’s future. Register your interest to attend. 

Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina named a military general as prime minister of the Indian Ocean island nation as increasingly violent anti-government demonstrations entered a third week. Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo replaces Christian Ntsay, who was sacked a week ago. “Public order must be restored as quickly as possible,” said Rajoelina, who has ignored calls to step down. Meanwhile, Malawian leader Peter Mutharika named economist Joseph Mwanamvekha as his finance minister days after being sworn into office.

Protesters scatter after security forces fire teargas in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital. Photographer: Rijasolo/AFP/Getty Images

Africa’s labor force will almost double by 2050 and the continent urgently needs large-scale job creation to meet the demands of young people whose frustrations have already sparked protests in several countries, including Kenya, Togo and Morocco. That was a key takeaway from the World Bank’s latest assessment of sub-Saharan Africa. It estimates more than 600 million people will join the working-age population over the next 25 years — the largest and fastest demographic shift in recent history.

Months after Oliver Liao arrived in Pretoria to serve as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador, South Africa began a campaign to sideline the island nation — thrusting him into the epicenter of a geopolitical drama. While Pretoria broke formal ties with Taipei in favor of relations with Beijing decades ago, the country now wants to further dilute their relationship, a sign of how the chip hub is increasingly being squeezed on the global stage.

Oliver Liao, Taiwan’s senior representative in South Africa. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg

Kenya has converted loans it took from China to finance a railway into yuan-denominated debt, which it expects will save it $215 million annually in interest, according to Treasury Secretary John Mbadi. The East African nation borrowed $5 billion from the Export-Import Bank of China for the line connecting the port city of Mombasa to a town just outside the capital, Nairobi, and about $3.5 billion was still outstanding by mid-2024. Kenya spends $1 billion annually on servicing its debts to China.

A powerful explosion rocked central Mogadishu on Saturday, just hours after Somalia’s government lifted several roadblocks, citing improved security. The blast, close to the presidential palace, was followed by heavy gunfire, according to the police and eye witnesses. State media alleged that al-Shabaab militants were responsible for the attack, which shattered several months of relative calm in the Somali capital.

Smoke fills the sky after an explosion near the presidential palace in Mogadishu. Photographer: AP Photo

Nigeria is in talks with China’s Export and Import Bank about a $2 billion loan that would be used to finance a grid to reduce power shortages. A new transmission line will serve regions of the country where most industrial consumers are situated, according to Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu. While Nigeria has about 13 gigawatts of installed electricity generation capacity, the central grid can distribute only a third of that to its more than 200 million people. 

Thank you for your responses to our weekly Next Africa Quiz and congratulations to Keith Atkinson, who was first to correctly identify Seychelles as the country with the highest per-capita GDP in Africa.

Cocoa futures hit a 20-month low, with hedge funds turning more bearish as the global supply picture improves. Futures have halved since December on expectation of increased bean production and waning demand. Supply prospects have also been boosted recently by top growers Ivory Coast and Ghana raising prices — a move that could encourage farmers to accelerate sales. The pullback is good news for consumers, who saw chocolate prices surge after a series of poor cocoa harvests.

Thanks for reading. We’ll be back in your inbox with the next edition on Friday. Send any feedback to mcohen21@bloomberg.net