Blog
African Responses to Global Crises
18 Nov 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
How do African governments and Africa collectively respond to the crisis in the global trading system? Are joint policies being developed? By whom? How will such a process be coordinated a...read more
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: An African perspective
18 Nov 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede
Trade facilitation discussions at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) began in December 1996, at the Singapore Ministerial Conference, when the member states instructed the WTO Council for ...read more
Is it time for a new Global Order?
18 Nov 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The policies of President Trump have brought a new urgency to the debate about the future of the global economic and geopolitical order. American tariffs on Chinese goods[1], the withdrawa...read more
Modernisation of the multilateral trading system – WTO reforms
18 Nov 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede
The multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are today under threat. The system is being shaken by increasing protectionism and the imposition of non-tariff barri...read more
American mid-term Elections: What International Implications?
18 Nov 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The American mid-term elections took place during the first week of November 2018 and were keenly watched. Many have hoped that control by the Democratic Party of the House of Representati...read more
A WTO multilateral investment facilitation agreement: An African perspective
18 Nov 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede
Investment at the WTO
Investment was introduced onto the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agenda in 1996 at the First WTO Ministerial Conference held in Singapore, when member states propos...read more
The Settlement of Trade Disputes: Where do we stand and what can be done?
18 Nov 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The crisis in the dispute settlement arrangement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has a paralysing effect on the multilateral trade system. While the workload of the Dispute Settlemen...read more
The 2018 Global Food Security Index: What does the picture look like?
18 Nov 2018 ~ Obert Bore
Food security is the state in which all people at all times have physical and economic access to adequate, safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and food preferences for a...read more
The right kind of disruption... New banks in South Africa
31 Oct 2018 ~ Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
There are a number of start-up banks set to challenge the dominance of the big four in South Africa (Absa, FirstRand Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank) in the coming months, including Bank Z...read more
Brexit’s sober Lessons
24 Oct 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Had it not been for the crisp analysis (and ridicule at times[1]) by many reporting on the oversimplifications offered by those who see Brexit as an opportunity to restore national “sove...read more
South Africa’s much-awaited Investment Conference: What will it tell us?
24 Oct 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
In September this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that an international investor conference will be convened as part of his drive to get $100 billion in new investment into South...read more
Zimbabwe ratifies the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: What does this mean for Zimbabwe?
23 Oct 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede
On 17 October 2018, Zimbabwe deposited with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Secretariat its instrument of ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)[1], becoming the 139...read more
South African Poultry Association files an Application for setting aside AGOA
01 Oct 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
How do private parties involved in intra-African trade protect their rights and interests which may flow from the application of trade agreements? They do not, as a rule, enjoy standing be...read more
The Crisis in WTO Dispute Settlement
01 Oct 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The effective functioning of the dispute settlement system of the WTO is essential for rules-based multilateral trade. It provides certainty and predictability and prevents power-based beh...read more
The Dispute Settlement Mechanism under the African Continental Free Trade Area
01 Oct 2018 ~ Obert Bore
African Governments do not litigate against each other in trade matters. Will it be different under the African Continental Free Trade Area? We do not know. What we do know is that this po...read more
Dispute settlement in the East African Community (EAC)
01 Oct 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede, Louis Gitinywa
The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The EAC, among other things, aims to widen and deepen cooperation among m...read more
Alternative Dispute Settlement Procedures for Trade-related Disputes in Africa
01 Oct 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
African State are not active users of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The explanations point to Africa’s small share of global trade and...read more
Investment dispute resolution under the Amended Annex 1 of the SADC FIP
01 Oct 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede
Effective dispute resolution is important for foreign investors. It guarantees legal certainty and predictability in markets and provides remedies when rights are violated. The resolution ...read more
MTN vs. Nigeria: on the perils of investment in Nigeria, or the arrogance of South African multinationals?
01 Oct 2018 ~ Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
In late August this year, MTN was ordered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to return around US$8.1 billion alleged to have been illegally repatriated (to its South African parent compa...read more
South Africa to ratify Tripartite FTA and Continental Free Trade Area Agreements
17 Sep 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The South African Parliament is in the process of ratifying the Tripartite FTA Agreement. South Africa signed the TFTA in July 2017. The aim behind this Agreement is eventually to bring 26...read more
Education in the 21st Century Digital World
14 Sep 2018 ~ John Stuart
In his 1995 best-selling book ‘The Road Ahead’, Microsoft founder Bill Gates said “the computer won’t dominate the learning experience, but it will effectively augment learning, es...read more
BREXIT: Where does it stand and what are the options?
12 Sep 2018 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
If I were a business person in the United Kingdom (UK) or a concerned voter, I would be somewhat unhappy about the persistent uncertainty regarding the outcome of the Brexit process. There...read more
Brexit on Tour in Africa
04 Sep 2018 ~ Trudi Hartzenberg, Gerhard Erasmus
Prime Minister Theresa May made a brief visit last week to South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. These are the large, anchor economies of Southern, East and West Africa. They are also all membe...read more
Trade Governance Support to Empower Women Entrepreneurs
31 Aug 2018 ~ Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand became, on June 21 this year, only the second head of state to give birth in office, after late prime minister Bhutto of Pakistan. She is the y...read more
Women driving the Cosmetics Sector in Namibia
31 Aug 2018 ~ Maria Immanuel
Like agriculture and textiles, the cosmetics sector in Namibia is largely driven by women. Namibia’s cosmetic industry is probably one of the fastest growing in the country at the moment...read more
A gender agenda: South Africa’s tourism trade
30 Aug 2018 ~ Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
South Africa has a sophisticated framework for gender equality. Equality is enshrined in the constitution, and legal protections and institutions are in place. Despite this, gender inequal...read more
Women, trade and financial inclusion in SADC
30 Aug 2018 ~ Ashly Hope (Volunteer)
Financial inclusion is linked to both economic growth and poverty alleviation. It enables people to participate in the economy, and therefore to trade. It is necessary for business growth ...read more
Promoting Women’s Participation in the AfCFTA
29 Aug 2018 ~ Treasure Maphanga
The recent signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area in Kigali on 21 March 2018 marked a momentous occasion in trade policy discourse in Africa. The Agreement seeks to create a si...read more
Identifying the role of civil society in the SADC EPA
21 Aug 2018 ~ Talkmore Chidede
The demand for civil society participation in the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements has recently intensified following the growing and progressive mainstreaming of sustain...read more
2018 SADC Summit – Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development
13 Aug 2018 ~ Trudi Hartzenberg, Gerhard Erasmus
The 38th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will take place 17th to 18th August 2018 in Namibia. The occasion of the ...read more