Entrepreneur Arron Banks shot to prominence during and after the UK’s 2016 Brexit Referendum, where financial support for ‘Leave’ made him the country’s largest-ever political donor. Later that year, Banks and political ally Nigel Farage were Donald Trump’s first foreign visitors after the returned US President’s first shock victory. In this fascinating interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg, Banks explains why South Africa is key in the Trump Administration’s strategy to address global political imbalances, cautioning about likely consequences from the ANC’s doubling down in its tug of the Eagle’s tail feathers. He also shares his SA connections; the spectacular growth of Farage’s Reform Party (now leading UK polls); and a long-running R150m fraud case against the South African miner who hosted Ramaphosa at the RWC. Banks will speak about Trump and SA at BNC#7.
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The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here.
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Highlights from the interview ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Arron Banks, the controversial financier credited with funding the Brexit campaign, sat down with BizNews founder Alec Hogg to discuss his deep-rooted South African connections, his insights on global politics, and his views on the state of governance in South Africa. The conversation covered everything from Nigel Farage’s Reform Party’s rise in the UK to the ANC’s precarious position in South Africa and the geopolitical tensions shaping the world today.
A South African connection
Banks’ ties to South Africa run deep. His father worked across Africa, managing sugar estates, and the family spent significant time in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Though educated in the UK, Banks often returned to South Africa, a country he continues to visit frequently. His investments include acquiring old De Beers diamond mines, though a drawn-out fraud case involving businessman Chris Kimber has left him disillusioned with South Africa’s legal system.
Banks lambasted the inefficiencies in South African courts, highlighting how the case against Kimber has been delayed for over seven years, with multiple prosecutors and endless postponements.
“The legal system is designed to let the criminals off,” Banks remarked, referencing Kimber’s alleged misappropriation of R150 million. The drawn-out nature of the case, he said, reflects broader governance failures that deter international investors.
From Brexit to Trump: A political firebrand
Banks’ political activism is well known. Having left the UK Conservative Party in 1993 over the Maastricht Treaty, he became one of Brexit’s biggest financial backers. His association with Nigel Farage led him to the Trump campaign in 2016, where he and Farage were among the first to meet Donald Trump after his election victory.
Banks sees Farage’s growing influence as a reflection of public dissatisfaction with the UK’s two main parties. “The Labour Party inherited a disastrous situation, and they’re just making it worse. The Conservative Party, after 14 years in power, is bereft of ideas.”
Farage’s Reform Party has surged in popularity, with recent YouGov polls placing it ahead of the Conservative Party. Banks suggested that British politics is undergoing a seismic shift, with Reform offering an alternative to an electorate disillusioned by both Labour and the Tories.
Elon Musk, Trump, and South Africa’s uncertain future
Alec Hogg pressed Banks on Elon Musk’s controversial statements about South Africa, particularly regarding land ownership and the rising tide of farm murders. While Banks agreed that concerns over property rights were valid, he urged caution in labeling all farm attacks as politically motivated. “It’s as much about cash as it is political,” he noted, pointing to remote farms as prime targets for criminals.
Banks also weighed in on Musk’s reported offer to fund the Reform Party with £100 million, dismissing it as media hype. Instead, he emphasized Reform’s grassroots financial success, boasting that its membership has doubled to 200,000 in just eight weeks—surpassing the Conservative Party’s numbers.
South Africa in the crosshairs of global power struggles
With Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Banks predicts a radical geopolitical shift. “Trump will try to realign the world order, wrap up the Ukraine war quickly, and bring Russia back towards the West,” he asserted.
Banks believes Trump’s focus will be on countering China’s growing influence, particularly in Africa. “South Africa sits right in the middle of this. The ANC’s ties to Iran and China will put it in a very precarious position.”
He noted that South Africa’s ruling party is underestimating the potential consequences of its foreign policy decisions. The ANC’s continued backing of Iran and its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) could result in economic repercussions from the United States.
The risk of South Africa’s balkanization
Alec Hogg introduced a warning from political analyst Dr. Frans Cronjé: unless South Africa changes course, it risks Balkanization. Many in the Western Cape and KZN already entertain secessionist ideas. Banks acknowledged this, saying, “South Africa is an artificial country in many ways. The Western Cape is the part that really works. I can see an argument for KZN being almost ungovernable.”
Read more: RW Johnson: Rational, fact-based perspective of Trump, Musk, Ramaphosa pronouncements
While Banks didn’t advocate for secession, he stressed that political stagnation and poor governance could push regions toward seeking greater autonomy. “If the ANC keeps making the same mistakes, people will look for alternatives.”
Engagement, not isolation
Despite his harsh critique of the ANC, Banks sees potential in some South African leaders. He singled out Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie as one of the few politicians who understand the importance of engaging with the U.S. “He’s the only one saying, ‘Let’s talk to the Americans.’”
Banks warned that failure to engage could result in a repeat of the economic fallout from 1985, when the U.S. withdrew financial support from South Africa, accelerating the collapse of apartheid. “The Americans will use their full economic might to bring people to heel,” he said, cautioning that South Africa’s economy is already fragile.
A world in flux
As the world braces for a potential Trump presidency, Banks argues that politics has never been more interesting—or unpredictable. South Africa, he believes, will be at the center of a major global realignment, whether it likes it or not.
The ANC’s decisions in the coming months could determine whether the country remains an economic player or finds itself isolated on the world stage. Meanwhile, Banks continues to watch from the sidelines, a businessman-turned-political disruptor who thrives in times of uncertainty.
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