Blog

The Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: Slow ratification by African countries

04 Jan 2021 ~ Martin Gitau (former intern)
The legal systems of African countries reflect their history, colonial heritages, customary and other norms. The differences are also evident in the area of international contracts of sale...read more

Customs modernisation in Africa and related challenges

22 Dec 2020 ~ Juliette Armelle Kouamo (former intern)
Customs administration systems have to adapt to changes in the trading environment. The modernisation of customs administration systems is fundamental to ensure that trade continues uninte...read more

What to expect when all the AfCFTA Pieces have come together?

11 Dec 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus, Trudi Hartzenberg
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement may be in force since 30 May 2019, but this project is still work in progress. What remains outstanding? What can be expected onc...read more

The ABC of the AfCFTA – as it stands

11 Dec 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus, Trudi Hartzenberg
Trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is set to begin. It has been decided to start implementing aspects of the AfCFTA on 1 January 2021, though certain matters must...read more

Preparing for the start of trade under the AfCFTA: Could Medicines be included?

11 Dec 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement is in force since 30 May 2019. However, trade under new preferential rules has not yet begun. The reason is that the negotiations...read more

The AfCFTA will grow gradually and via measures taken in different Forums

11 Dec 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
What must the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) actually bring about? How will this happen and when? The AfCFTA will be “ready for business” once he outstanding negotiations...read more

The AfCFTA in a global Context

11 Dec 2020 ~ Gerhard Erasmus
There are high expectations locally and internationally about the prospects of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The benefits for integration and rules-based trade governan...read more

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 (former intern)
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 (former intern)
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 (former intern)
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