Ulrich Janse van Vuuren is full of enthusiasm to share and showcase some of South Africa’s best features with his social media followers.

The 38-year-old white man, South Africa, often takes snapshots to capture purple Jacaranda trees such as the cold Johannesburg mornings, the purple Jacaranda trees associated with the popular waterfront in Pretoria or Cape Town.

The proud Afrikaans told the BBC: “Promoting South Africa is my passion – I have no intention (a offer from US President Donald Trump) to tell the BBC.

The U.S. President and his South African-born Ally Elon Musk said white Afrikaans were persecuted in their home country and they were suffering from "genocide".

Even if it is widely slandered, this is a saying that has been circulating for many years.

Despite the attacks and murders of some white farmers, South Africa is one of the highest murder rates in the world, so it is a problem that affects all of their citizens, regardless of their race.

"For me, South Africa is home. It's my roots and legacy and I can contribute to the story of our country and make a meaningful impact," said Janse van Vuuren, who has over a million followers on social media.

“I have invested a profound investment in South Africa’s success and I am proud to be part of the journey.”

While he hopes those who accept Trump’s offer in the United States and urge them to “not look back”, he insists that none of them are refugees but “opportunists.”

“What they enjoy is not just the resources and privileges of South Africa, but no one escapes racial persecution,” he said.

In the 30 years after the end of the racist system, the average living standard in the white South African community remains much higher than that of the black majority.

Mr Janse Van Vuuren said the debate on the status of Afrikaans in South Africa only made him “strengthen his efforts more firmly than ever and contribute to South Africa in various ways”.

After the first Dutch settlers arrived in what is now South Africa, most Africas consider themselves to be completely African (as the name suggests) and no longer identify with their European roots.

But many are upset with high crime rates and policies aimed at reducing economic inequality in the country, especially with the laws passed earlier this year that allow the government to seize land without compensation “when it is just and in the public interest.” White South Africans are 7% of the country's population, but own half of its farmland.

Some Afrikaners are farmers and see the law as targeting them.

Trump said the legislation prompted him to offer to help resettle “Africa refugees who evade government-funded racial-based discrimination.”

The status of white farmers in South Africa has long been a rally between the right and far right of American politics.

But while there have been many systematic targets for the country’s white Africa minority in the past, local crime statistics paint different situations.

South Africa has not released crime figures based on race, but the latest data shows that 6,953 people were murdered in the country between October 2024 and December 2024. Twelve of them were killed in the farm attack. Of the 12, one was a farmer, five were farm residents and four were employees, who were probably black.

On Monday, the first group of 59 Afrikaans granted refugee status after choosing to leave their home country.

The arrival of the group has frustrated and outrageous South Africa as the country’s civil society and leadership seek to eliminate claims that white minorities are persecuted.

"They left because they don't want to embrace the changes that are happening in our country and our constitution," said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Later, he marked their actions as "cowardly behavior" when addressing farmers at a conference held in the Free State Province.

The president's sentiment has been responded to by many South Africans, including Mr. Janse van Vuuren, who is proud of his Afrikaan origins.

Although he did not grow up in an agricultural family, he had relatives and friends in agriculture of the victims of crime.

He said that while some farmers face “real threats and difficulties” are undeniable, it is important to be cautious when discussing the persecution or discrimination claims portraying the entire group as victims of targeted violence or systemic oppression.

While many South Africans responded to Janse Van Vuuren's sentiment, some viewed themselves as persecuted minority.

Among them is Ilse Steenkamp, ​​who applied for the program with her family but has not received feedback yet. She doesn't want us to use her real name.

Ms. Steenkamp, ​​47, and her husband are both Afrikaans and both commercial farmers, but said they recently lost their land after being invaded by people who "take over the entire farm" like they were going to sell it to "reduce".

After the end of apartheid, they purchased land twenty years ago, she said.

She said the invading people destroyed critical infrastructure, making it impossible to sell.

Despite efforts to evacuate it through the court, Ms. Stekenkamp said they were forced to give up the land because of the land that the bank had recovered.

Ms Steenkamp said that while she and her family are familiar with the high crime levels in South Africa and often try to "not let us get into trouble", the latest attack is to break the camel's straw.

Even though her family was eager to accept Trump’s proposal when she first announced Trump, the mother of three told the BBC that the decision to leave was “very difficult because you…a whole day’s lifestyle.”

Ms. Sternkamp said it was unfair that Afrikaners were granted refugee status at the time when the United States was suppressing refugees and asylum seekers everywhere else in the world.

She pointed to the attacks on farmers, saying "seemingly hatred for these attacks."

"Any farmer who has experienced this kind of attack and wants to escape, I think it should be considered refugees because they are fleeing from the government and don't even admit that these things are happening," she said.

Sambusà, 60, is another white South African who applied for a refugee program.

She is the founder of Amerikaners, a platform designed to inform South Africans interested in the U.S. resettlement offers.

Although Busà is an English language, not a descendant of Afrikaans, her three sons have submitted their applications but have not been interviewed yet.

While it was initially believed that the executive order was vague in its original wording and only applied to white Afrikaans, Ms. Busà said, "apparently targeting white South Africans."

On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in South Africa issued a statement stating the criteria for those who apply for resettlement, which stated that the applicant must be:

• South African nationality
• Afrikaans or minority
• Able to cite past persecution or fear of persecution

Ms. Booth responded to criticizing them for not being real refugees, “Even if someone deprived you of your hope for the future, even if you are not in the war zone… Someone deprived you of your dreams of the future and hope for the future, which is very dramatic. It’s a kind of mental pain and emotional abuse.”

However, Dr. Piet Croucamp, associate professor of political studies at Northwestern University in South Africa, disagrees, which is in line with people's belief that those who accept the proposal are not refugees because "there are no persecutors in South Africa."

Instead, he speculated that it might be those who were once victims of crime, “the existence could be defined as unsafe people.”

Dr. Krukamp of the Dutchman said that while he did not expect a large number of South Africans to follow, there would always be "opportunistic" people taking advantage of the situation.

“It’s a small group of people leaving – the vast majority of Afrikaners are everywhere and they have expressed themselves. Say they won't go anywhere. So even in the Afrikaan circle, this is a small group of people. ” he said.

Despite their criticism of the government and its race-based policy, both the Africa’s big lobby, Adriforum and the Solidarity Movement, reaffirmed their intention to stay in South Africa.

Afriforum said that while the government should blame the organization's departure for granting refugee status, they will continue and continue to "the efforts to create a future for the Dutch in the southern tip of Africa".

This is what Mr. Janse van Vuuren agrees.

“While some may choose to leave as refugees, most of us stay here and work together to build a bright future for all of South Africa.”