Blog
How will Africa engage the new US Administration about Trade Issues?
11 Dec 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
It has been announced that the African Union (AU) Ministers of Trade (AMOT) will be requested to engage the new US Administration on “negotiations” for a successor trade arrangeme...read more
South Africa-UK trade: comparing January-October 2019 and 2020
11 Dec 2020 ~ Willemien Viljoen
The United Kingdom (UK) is one of South Africa’s key trade partners. This remains so during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through cycles of social distancing measures (lockdowns) in both countr...read more
Kenya and South Africa Bilateral Trade 2019
24 Nov 2020 ~ Talkmore Chidede
Kenya and South Africa have no trade agreement currently. Trade between the two countries is conducted under the most-favoured-nation – World Trade Organization – rules. Kenya is a par...read more
Collating and disseminating FDI data and related information in Africa – Challenges and opportunities
24 Nov 2020 ~ Talkmore Chidede
Collating and disseminating foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics and related information is important for many reasons. It helps government officials and policy makers formulate appr...read more
Eswatini merchandise trade: Jan-May 2019 and Jan-May 2020 comparison
24 Nov 2020 ~ Talkmore Chidede
Eswatini is one of the few African countries that has reported their 2020 monthly trade data thus far. Eswatini is a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Southern African Cust...read more
Madagascar trade: Jan-Jul 2019 and Jan-July 2020 comparison
24 Nov 2020 ~ Annabel Nanjira
Madagascar is one of the few African countries that has reported their monthly 2020 data thus far. Madagascar is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and two regional economic co...read more
Africa’s COVID-19 medical supplies trade: January-June 2020
24 Nov 2020 ~ Juliette Armelle Kouamo
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought an unprecedented demand for medical products (COVID-19 medical supplies) required to curb the spread of the virus. COVID-19 medical supplies inc...read more
Intra-SADC FTA trade and SADC FTA trade with the rest of Africa 2019
24 Nov 2020 ~ Martin Gitau
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) consists of 16 members – 13 of which are in a free trade area (FTA). The SADC FTA members are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, M...read more
The Kenya-UK post-Brexit Trade Agreement
23 Nov 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Since the beginning of this year the United Kingdom (UK) ceased to be a member of the European Union (EU). The Withdrawal Agreement entered into force on 31 January 2020. However, the UK c...read more
SACU trade 2019
23 Nov 2020 ~ Talkmore Chidede
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), comprising Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, is a customs union (CU) with duty-free[1] intra-SACU trade and a common externa...read more
What could the Biden victory mean for Africa?
11 Nov 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The Biden administration will have many urgent matters in its in-tray. Relations with specific foreign governments might not be at the top of that stack, but the departure of President Tru...read more
First Meeting of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Technical Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights
11 Nov 2020 ~ Abrie du Plessis
The Seventh Meeting of African Union (AU) Ministers of Trade, which took place on 12-13 December 2018 in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, directed that Technical Working Groups (TWGs) be est...read more
Customs enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the European Union – a short briefing on the recent EU action on the importation of blueberries from South Africa
11 Nov 2020 ~ Abrie du Plessis
In the European Union (EU), customs enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRS) takes place in terms of Regulation (EU) No. 608/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, a...read more
South Africa’s PPE shortage – what can we learn?
14 Oct 2020 ~ David Christianson
Within the first week of South Africa’s lock down in response to the Covid-19 crisis, at the end of March, health care professionals were warning that locally available supplies of perso...read more
National and regional perspectives and responses on the impact of COVID-19 on cross-border trade and Customs border management – what are we learning?
12 Oct 2020 ~ Rwatida Mafurutu
What began as a worldwide health crisis, turned out to be a global economic shock of unimaginable effects on cross-border trade for travellers, traders, transporters, and policy-makers in ...read more
Effects of the COVID-19 Measures on Trade Facilitation in SADC
12 Oct 2020 ~ Innocent Muranganwa
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide and to try and contain the spread of the virus governments the world over have imposed various measures which have limited m...read more
COVID-19 Control Measures in SADC – Striking a balance between control and Trade Facilitation
12 Oct 2020 ~ Innocent Muranganwa
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have not spared the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and like in all other parts of the world, economies of the member states have ...read more
Why is Brexit still so difficult?
05 Oct 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
On 1 January 1973, the United Kingdom (UK) joined the European Economic Community, as it then was. Forty-four years later, on 29 March 2017, the UK Government notified the European Council...read more
Africa’s Trade with the EU and the UK post Brexit
05 Oct 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Until the United Kingdom (UK) finally exits from the European Union (EU) single market at the end of this year, most African exports to the UK enjoy preferential access in terms of the Gen...read more
The UK-SACUM Economic Partnership Agreement
05 Oct 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Until 31 December 2020, goods exported from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states and from Mozambique to the United Kingdom (UK) will be covered by the SADC-EU Economic P...read more
Industrial development – the importance of services, regulation and good governance
06 Sep 2020 ~ Talkmore Chidede, Trudi Hartzenberg
Services, appropriate regulation and good governance are critical in industrial, and broader economic development. Services play a very significant role in Africa’s economic development;...read more
South Africa’s July 2020 trade data – exports recover while imports remain below 2019 levels
05 Sep 2020 ~ Willemien Viljoen
Between June and July of this year, South Africa’s total trade (exports + imports) increased by 12 percent.[1] Since May, South Africa has a trade surplus (global exports exceed imports)...read more
How Trade Arrangements such as AGOA can drive Industrialisation in Less Developed Africa
03 Sep 2020 ~ John Stuart
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is an act of the United States Congress, passed in 2000 and with the purpose of granting qualifying sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries prefer...read more
January-June 2020 trade data: intermediates destined for African countries in transit through South Africa
03 Sep 2020 ~ Willemien Viljoen
Although numerous African countries are yet to release trade data for 2020, South Africa’s trade data for the first six months of 2020[1] not only include South Africa’s official trade...read more
COVID-19: Lessons for industrial development and policy for Africa
03 Sep 2020 ~ Trudi Hartzenberg, Talkmore Chidede
Impact of COVID-19
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected industries and economic fundamentals (e.g. demand, supply and production) in Africa and globally. It has resul...read more
Regional industrial development in Africa – how can COVID-19 responses contribute?
03 Sep 2020 ~ Talkmore Chidede, Trudi Hartzenberg
Industrial development has always been featured in Africa’s integration agenda. In recent years this focus has been sharpened and industrial strategies at continental and regional econom...read more
COVID-19 – implications for SEZ in Africa: lessons from Rwanda
03 Sep 2020 ~ Aleksa Burmazovic
COVID-19’s dire short-term economic consequences have the potential to act as a catalyst for much needed change for SEZs across Africa.
Many marginal Special Economic Zones (SEZ) progra...read more
The Secretariat is pivotal to the success of the AfCFTA
17 Aug 2020 ~ Trudi Hartzenberg
A recent World Bank study emphasises the importance of implementation and the reduction of ‘red tape and simplification of customs procedures’ as key to the success of the AfCFTA. Lack...read more
40th SADC Summit and the anticipated key trade issues on the agenda
14 Aug 2020 ~ Rwatida Mafurutu
The 2020 Southern African Development Community (SADC) 40th Summit of Heads of State and Government kicked off in earnest on the 10th of August 2020. The Summit is being coordinated virtua...read more
Brexit – Some Implications for Financial Services
30 Jul 2020 ~ Dirk de Vos, Trudi Hartzenberg
Most discussions surrounding trade tend to focus on the trade of goods. Physical items, whether primary or manufactured products, are inherently tradeable. Services, restricted as they are...read more