With just over a week to go until Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President of the United States on January 20th, Africa and the world at large will finally see what Trump will bring to the table.
President-elect Donald Trump has been the centre of many controversial statements over the past decade, with his election campaign falling nothing short of the true Trump touch. With his stance on Muslims and immigrants, he has become the unpopular kid on the block and many A-List stars, including Beyoncé, have declined to perform at his inauguration.
This may be perceived to have bruised to his ego, but Trump’s office has claimed that it is okay with the objections, which was backed by a tweet from Trump stating that he just wants “the people” not the A-listers.
Trump then tweeted, implying that by performing at his inauguration, artists would receive a massive sales jump as Jackie Evancho’s album sales “have skyrocketed” after the announcement that she would perform.
Not only has Trump caused upset within the States, he has ruffled feathers internationally. He very openly expressed his intentions of building a wall along the border of Mexico (for which Mexico would supposedly be footing the bill) and took a risky dance with Russia, North Korea and China.
Is Africa even on Trump’s radar and what does this mean for us? Opinions in the CNBC Africa office are varied with some speculating that Africa will witness full exploitation under Trump’s reign. Some African states would try to stabilise their futures as best they can as Trump appears very unpredictable, and could with just one statement drastically affect their economies. Others are welcoming Trump’s presidency with arms wide open.
On January 20th from 6pm CAT, CNBC Africa will broadcast the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States. CNBC Africa is available on DStv channel 410 and StarTimes channel 309. Follow the conversation on Twitter @CNBC Africa #TrumpInOffice.
For further program information, please contact:
Monique Vanek
News Editor
+27 11 384 0300
