Sky Views: Donald Trump is losing friends and goodwill in Africa

By John Sparks, Africa Correspondent

As super-size public relations disasters go, it is pretty hard to beat Donald Trump's blast in an immigration-themed meeting that African countries (and Haiti) are s***holes.

"Put me down for wanting more Europeans to come to this country. Why don't we get more people from Norway?", he is reported to have said.

Conscious, perhaps, that several billion human beings were standing around muttering: "Did he really say that?", the US president has offered up a series of wishy-washy denials. But nobody is buying it.

Just about every country south of the Sahara has issued protest notes and officials in Botswana, Senegal and South Africa have hauled in people from their respective American embassies for a dressing down.

Botswana asked the US Government to clarify if it is regarded as a "s***hole" country.

The Namibian government reminded Trump of the importance of civil discourse and a local tourist agency put together a (swear-word filled) video poking fun at the leader of the free world.

To be fair, the US president had it coming. He did call the country 'Nambia' at a press conference a couple of months ago.

Warning: This video contains strong language

Despite all the heat and international outrage, it is difficult to imagine Trump losing sleep over it and the same goes for most Africans, who have already adjusted their US presidential expectation dials.

However, when it comes to calling countries s***holes (or s***houses, as some have suggested), they have some useful advice to dispense.

I know because I have spent the week in South Africa, discussing all things Trump with taxi drivers, receptionists and estate agents.

First off, if you going to denigrate a nation, be mindful of where you are when you start to trash-talk.

South Africans can castigate their country and their leaders (something they do a lot by the way) but few here want the American developer-cum-president to pile in as well.

"I can show you some s***holes in Johannesburg," one Uber driver told me, "but I wouldn't show that man anything."

Spicy-chicken chain Nandos released a video just before Christmas entitled, "We (South Africans) can fix our s***," which poked fun at dodgy politicians and corruption in the public and private sectors. But they got away with it because they are South African.

There is a sense of ownership and shared struggle here and that is important - which reminds me of a popular joke in Russia.

"Two Russians are drinking with a foreigner and tell him everything in Russia is s***. Finally, the foreigner agrees so they beat him up."

Secondly, if you are going to call a country a basket case, a failed state or, well, a s***hole, the timing is important.

If Trump had shown some interest in the African continent during his first year as president, residents of Johannesburg might take him a bit more seriously.

"He may have a point - you know people here say the same thing," said my hotel's concierge. "But he's an idiot."

Certainly, Trump has a continental-sized credibility problem. He has not announced an Africa policy or filled important diplomatic posts.

As super-size public relations disasters go, it is pretty hard to beat Donald Trump's blast in an immigration-themed meeting that African countries (and Haiti) are s***holes.

He has not nominated an assistant secretary of state for Africa - nor an ambassador to South Africa. If African leaders want to pick up the phone and talk to America, who do they call?

Thirdly, if you are going to criticise African countries, people are going to ask why?

There are accepted grounds for criticism (as most people here will tell you) but Trump was talking about the relative worth of human beings.

He was expressing a preference for immigrants from a majority-white European nation over countries with non-white populations.

That is racist and fits a pattern of other remarks made by the president. Last month the New York Times reported that he said Haitians "all had Aids" and Nigerians would never "go back to their huts".

There is an art to international critique and the American president has blown it on all counts.

As a consequence, the president and his administration will lose friends and goodwill in a region that matters to the United States. Think trade, security and yes, immigration.

And do not expect the Norwegians to call in the movers. Their citizens have been pointing out this week that they prefer universal health care and free university tuition on offer at home.

Sky Views is a series of comment pieces by Paste BN editors and correspondents, published every morning.

Previously: Alistair Bunkall - Loaning the Bayeux tapestry is a smart move by Macron-the-Smooth