Blog
Protection and promotion of the rights and interests of women under the AfCFTA
23 Jan 2023 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The economic, political, and moral arguments for promoting and securing the interests and rights of women traders are irrefutable. Despite some advances, women still hold fewer jobs, are p...read more
Joined at the hip – An Overview of the Competition Aspects of Public Procurement (A South African Perspective)
26 Dec 2022 ~ Songezo Mabece
For many who might be tempted to think that the terrains of competition law and public procurement are two exclusive of each other, their inherent public interest and benefit features toge...read more
Value Chains Can Drive, and be Driven by, the AfCFTA
24 Dec 2022 ~ John Stuart
Regional Value Chains (RVCs) – a localised form of a global value chain (GVC) – are a form of trade that involves a chain of intermediate products and services value addition from mult...read more
Trade-related Outcomes From the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15)
23 Dec 2022 ~ Gita Briel
Just two weeks after the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) came to a close, the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference o...read more
Why We Need to Promote African Value Chain Industrialisation Now That the AfCFTA Is Here
23 Dec 2022 ~ John Stuart
The ways in which developing countries industrialised post the industrial revolution have drawn attention from scholars for decades. The ‘Asian tigers’ are a group of South-East Asian ...read more
Small-scale Trade and the Simplified Trade Regime
22 Dec 2022 ~ Edina Moyo Mudzingwa
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a central role in the economic development of many countries. They are a major source of entrepreneurial skills, innovation, and its ...read more
Digital Trade Developments in Kenya: Perspective under AfCFTA
22 Dec 2022 ~ Beru Lilako
Digital trade and digitally enabled transactions of trade in goods and services have been increasing globally. In Kenya, the growth of digital trade and digitally enabled transactions has ...read more
United States – Kenya bilateral trade negotiations: From a Free Trade Area to a Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership
22 Dec 2022 ~ Maleehah Khandwalla
Bilateral trade between the United States (U.S.) and Kenya commenced through the enactment of the African Opportunity and Growth Act (AGOA) as Title I of The Trade and Development Act, sig...read more
Redefining the global supply chain through digitalisation: Enhancing cross-border trade facilitation and trade competitiveness through the e-Bill of Lading
22 Dec 2022 ~ Rwatida Mafurutu
A Customs bill of entry and the bill of lading (BOL) are among the critical and determinant documents that are used in the clearance of cargo and services that are internationally traded. ...read more
Anticipation of Trade in Services Under AfCFTA – Malawi’s Determination of Schedule of Commitments Under the Protocol on Trade in Services
22 Dec 2022 ~ Kahaki Jere
Malawi ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 15 January 2021 and has been participating in the negotiations of trade in services liberalisation under the Protocol on...read more
Consumer Redress as a Precursor to Consumer Trust in the Digital Age
22 Dec 2022 ~ Eunice Phiri
Digital financial services (DFS) are any financial services that are available digitally and they include payments, savings, credit transfers and insurance. They are procured through digit...read more
The Micro and Small Medium Enterprises Development in Kenya
22 Dec 2022 ~ Elizabeth Mulae
Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the economic backbone in Kenya comprising the majority (98%) of all business entities, registered and non-registered, in the country....read more
Regulatory Framework for State-Owned Enterprises in the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area
21 Dec 2022 ~ Legborsi Nwiabu
The governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is essential for efficient and open markets at both the domestic, continental and international levels. In many countries, SOEs are the mai...read more
Nigeria’s Preparedness for the Implementation of the AfCFTA: An Institutional Perspective
21 Dec 2022 ~ Adetutu Talabi
On 7 July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), formalising Nigeria as a party. After originally declining to sign the deal, t...read more
Leveraging the AfCFTA trade facilitation regime to advance formalisation strategies for Informal Cross-Border Traders (ICBTs) in Africa
21 Dec 2022 ~ Faith Mbakhwa
Economists estimate that a sizeable part of intra-African trade currently goes unrecorded, and this presents challenges for the regional integration agenda in the region[1]. The Economic C...read more
La ZLECA n'est pas lancée sur une bonne base
20 Dec 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
La ZLECA ajoute une zone de libre-échange (ZLE) supplémentaire aux accords commerciaux et d’intégration Africains existants. Elle doit prendre en compte les intérêts de cinquante-ci...read more
Comment la ZLECA s'intègre dans le schéma d'intégration régionale existant en Afrique
20 Dec 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
L’accord de la ZLECA est défini comme “le présent Accord établissant la Zone de Libre-Échange Continentale Africaine et ses protocoles, annexes et appendices qui en font partie int...read more
Did COP 27 really fail? Reflections on the climate summit
13 Dec 2022 ~ David Christianson
London’s Financial Times summed up the widespread response to the COP 27 climate summit held at Sharm el-Sheikh when it suggested the final agreement ‘encouraged some, gravely disappoi...read more
Transnet’s failure is Luderitz Bay’s opportunity – creating a new cross-border value chain
13 Dec 2022 ~ David Christianson
Transnet’s rail and harbour capacity has been entirely overwhelmed by South Africa’s surging manganese production over the past decade. In 2011, South Africa exported less than five mi...read more
COP27 outcomes – a reality check
30 Nov 2022 ~ Anthony Leiman
Those who follow the climate agreement conferences of parties are now used to the emotional roller-coaster that comes with them. COP26 looked to be a real success until the last second, wh...read more
How the AfCFTA fits into Africa’s existing regional integration scheme
23 Nov 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The AfCFTA Agreement is defined as “this Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area and its Protocols, Annexes and Appendices which shall form an integral part thereo...read more
Floating LNG vessels in Africa: Africa’s gas future is floating offshore
20 Nov 2022 ~ David Christianson
There is a growing trend in sub-Saharan Africa to deploy Floating Liquified Natural Gas (FLNG) technology to develop gas resources. Although generally much smaller (in terms of output), th...read more
Downbeat start to funding South Africa’s carbon transition
20 Nov 2022 ~ David Christianson
The release of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) shortly before the opening of COP 27 in the Egyptian City of Sharm El Sheikh was rather subdued. The JET-IP ...read more
Kenya and South Africa sign deals to deepen bilateral relations
14 Nov 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Economic integration is vital for Africa. The domestic markets of many African nations are small; several are Least Developed Countries (LDCs), land-locked, or island economies. Economic i...read more
Could Safeguards be used to promote Industrialisation?
14 Nov 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
Industrialisation depends on many policy inputs. African countries face unique challenges and must develop industrialisation policies suitable for their conditions. Such polices must now p...read more
A Promising Start to COP27: Climate Change Loss and Damage Makes it onto the Agenda
10 Nov 2022 ~ Gita Briel
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) was officially opened on the 6th of November in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The conferen...read more
5 Key Developments from COP27
10 Nov 2022 ~ Gita Briel
Delegates from nearly 200 countries have gathered in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt for the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). COP...read more
Will Dispute Settlement Proceedings be a feature of the AfCFTA?
05 Sep 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
It will be a major advance towards rules-based trade if the AfCFTA Dispute Settlement Protocol will be used by the State Parties. They do not settle disputes about trade and regional integ...read more
Why South Africa won’t hit the gas
05 Sep 2022 ~ David Christianson
The widely expected development of a South African gas economy, especially after the discovery of massive reserves in neighbouring Mozambique in February 2010, has failed to take off. At f...read more
The role of Negotiating Principles in the design of the AfCFTA
05 Sep 2022 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
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Since the launch of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA),[1] negotiations on trade liberalisation among African States have been based on a specific set of principles. When...read more