New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- United States reciprocal tariffs have put an estimated 30,000 jobs at risk, South African authorities said Monday, four days before a 30% U.S. tariff on most imports from South Africa kicks in.

South Africa was slapped with one of the highest tariff rates by its third-largest trading partner - after the European Union and China - creating uncertainty for the future of some export industries and catapulting a scramble for new markets outside the U.S. The tariff rates come into effect on Aug. 8.

In an update on mitigation measures, a senior government official warned that an estimated 30,000 jobs were in jeopardy if the response to the higher tariffs was "mismanaged."

"We base this on the ongoing consultations that w...