Joshua Meservey has warned that the United States (US) could follow visa restrictions with targeted financial sanctions if the South African government fails to address Washington’s concerns. Speaking to Gabriel Makin on The Common Sense’s Conversations with Gabriel podcast, he identified financial sanctions as a possible next step, while stressing that he did not know what measures the administration was considering.

Meservey distinguished targeted financial sanctions from measures affecting entire sectors of the South African economy. He described his assessment as a guess, rather than information about a confirmed decision.

“Nobody wants to see the South African economy crippled. That would be a loss for everybody,” he said.

Asked whether the visa restrictions had brought the two countries closer to an agreement, Meservey said his sense was that they had not. He expected further measures unless Pretoria acted quickly to address American concerns, although he believed those involved hoped to avoid escalation.

Meservey, who said he had advocated for visa restrictions, argued that Washington had lost patience with prolonged negotiations. In his assessment, American officials had concluded that the South African government was not responding in good faith and had therefore moved towards stronger pressure.

He said people involved in the negotiations had told him they believed Pretoria and the African National Congress were trying to run out the clock on the Trump administration. According to Meservey, that interpretation had gained influence in Washington, where officials wanted to demonstrate that such an approach would not work.

He also argued that black economic empowerment requirements burdened American companies operating in South Africa. He linked Washington’s objections both to opposition to race-based policies and to its emphasis on reciprocal treatment of businesses.

Meservey said the administration also recognised opportunities for closer trade and commercial ties, including additional American investment. His assessment was that those opportunities would remain constrained until the outstanding concerns were addressed.