(MENAFN) As negotiations persist over the 30% U.S. import tariffs on South African products, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola cautioned Wednesday that despite hopeful signals from the government, the final outcome remains uncertain.

"There is ongoing engagement between the two countries through various interlocutors and various platforms. Whether they will end up with a deal or not, I don't know," Lamola told reporters during a briefing in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital.

The minister emphasized that South Africa is not alone in facing such punitive tariffs, highlighting similar measures impacting nations like Brazil, Switzerland, and India. "What we will do is to try our best to continue to engage with the hope that we will end up with some form of a positive outcome," he added.

Lamola also revealed that a delegation from the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s congressional staff is expected to visit South Africa later this week, although specific names were not disclosed.

Addressing recent media speculation that South Africa might be excluded from the SWIFT payment system amid potential U.S. sanctions, Lamola dismissed these claims, saying the government has received no formal notification.

"On our side, there has been nothing formal, not verbal or anything formal, indicating that South Africa would be removed from the SWIFT system," the minister confirmed.

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