Analysts back Trump’s USAID cuts in Africa, say increased trade will better benefit continent's poor

As the controversy over cutting U.S. aid grows some analysts believe that aid dollars can be better directed and invested in smarter ways that can help locals and not despotic governments.

Some $11 billion of USAid funds were reportedly spent in Africa in 2024, but trade between the U.S. and Africa during the same period was seven times higher - $71.6 billion, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Paul Tilsley is a veteran correspondent who has reported on African affairs for more than three decades from Johannesburg, South Africa. He can be followed on Twitter @paultilsley

Cronje said "the idea of helping people with aid may be admirable, but in practice achieves little in Africa by way of addressing the structural factors that underpin poverty. Trade, on the other hand, is a more viable route by which the U.S. can build strong relationships with Africa, and is also in line with President Donald Trump’s style of diplomacy through transactions."