Blog
The costs of driving smoking underground
David Christianson
24 Jul 2020
It is not surprising that the total ban on cigarette sales in South Africa, under COVID-19 lockdown regulations, has generated a thriving black market. This impact of banning sale of goods... read more 
The Looming Brexit Cliff – What it means for South Africa and for SACU
Dirk de Vos, Trudi Hartzenberg
21 Jul 2020
On 30 June 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) passed a final threshold. Although the UK formally left the EU on 31 January in terms of the Withdrawal Agreement betwe... read more 
Strict lockdown regulations – medical and electronic equipment flown in and cross-border road traffic reduced by two-thirds
Willemien Viljoen
14 Jul 2020
South Africa’s main trading partners are China (imports of electronic components, machinery and parts and motor vehicle components; exports of ores and concentrates), Germany (imports of... read more 
South Africa’s trade data update – the May 2020 data reveals the effect of eased lockdown restrictions
Willemien Viljoen
14 Jul 2020
Since the beginning of May 2020 South Africa gradually started to ease lockdown restrictions with a consequent increase in trade reflected in South Africa’s trade data for May which was ... read more 
Climate Change in times of COVID-19
Gavin van der Nest
13 Jul 2020
In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may appear that climate change related issues have been temporarily confined on the backburner. The COP26 climate summit scheduled to take place i... read more 
Why is it so difficult to start trading under AfCFTA Rules?
Gerhard Erasmus
06 Jul 2020
The simple answer to this question is that the task at hand is a daunting one. It should not be underestimated. The modus operandi employed for completing the African Continental Free Trad... read more 
Challenges for the youth entrepreneurs in agriculture
Motlatsi Tolo
03 Jul 2020
We need action now for a better future not only for us but for generations to come. That is what sustainable development requires. It is time for future leaders to be mindful of the land, ... read more 
Youth in trade and trade governance in Africa
Talkmore Chidede, Obert Bore
03 Jul 2020
Trade supported by improvements in trade governance can contribute to reducing inequalities by distributing benefits more equally across all segments of the society. Meaningful participati... read more 
The Wild West is Dead; Long Live Data Protection
Paul Esselaar
02 Jul 2020
Some years ago, a major retailer in the United Kingdom was asked what happened when they introduced the Data Protection Directive of 1995 (an immense shift – almost like a sea change –... read more 
COVID-19 to curtail FDI flows to Africa in 2020: How to mitigate the effects in the long-term?
Talkmore Chidede
02 Jul 2020
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will negatively impact foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Africa and the rest of the world. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development... read more 
Youth and post-COVID-19 recovery strategies in Africa and beyond
Trudi Hartzenberg, Talkmore Chidede
01 Jul 2020
It is clear that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will have severe global health, social, and economic impact on people and economies. To date, the science and statistics indicate that ... read more 
Digital Solutions for Trade Facilitation
Wilfried Deudjui Mbouwé
01 Jul 2020
Introduction Since 1947, states of the world have been working to liberalize international trade by reducing tariffs, under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and since 1995 unde... read more 
Youth Entrepreneurship in Africa: A beacon of hope for the continent
Maria Immanuel
01 Jul 2020
Leaders are those who connect the dots. Equally, youth entrepreneurship in Africa will be driven by the young minds who have the ability to connect the dots. With so many challenges stemmi... read more 
Use of Electronic Certificates of Origin now and beyond COVID-19 in intra-African Trade
Rwatida Mafurutu
29 Jun 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, it continues to restrain free movement of people, goods and services across African borders to unprecedented levels. Countries find themselves confronted... read more 
Beyond SDGs: The role of African youth in reaping demographic dividends
George Lwanda
29 Jun 2020
A good starting point in the discourse on youth is how to define the population group that is considered youth. This is because there exists no globally accepted definition of the youth po... read more 
Digitalise transport and trade procedures to ease the supply of essential goods during COVID-19 and beyond
Trudi Hartzenberg, Talkmore Chidede
29 Jun 2020
Governments across the world have implemented measures to stem the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Trade-related measures have been implemented particularly to ensure the contin... read more 
How Should the Covid-19 Pandemic Inform Economic and Trade Policy?
John Stuart
29 Jun 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on economic activity globally. The World Trade Organization estimated in April that world trade would fall by between 13 and 32% in 2020, ... read more 
EU investment governance developments: Implications for African countries
Talkmore Chidede
25 Jun 2020
The European Union (EU) investment policy is a model that many other countries have viewed as a standard or best practice in investment governance and have thus sought to emulate. Most of ... read more 
An Agenda for the AfCFTA Protocol on E-Commerce
Ify Ogo
25 Jun 2020
E-commerce has been included in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through a decision of the African Union Heads of State and Government Assembly in February 2020[1] and will... read more 
South Africa’s April 2020 trade statistics – reduced exports lead to a significant trade deficit
Willemien Viljoen
16 Jun 2020
South Africa’s March 2020 trade data[1] showed that measures adopted by its global trade partners to curb the spread of COVID-19 mainly impacted South Africa’s imports. Main source mar... read more