Blog

The right kind of disruption... New banks in South Africa

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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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?

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

Women, trade and financial inclusion in SADC

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

A gender agenda: South Africa’s tourism trade

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

Promoting Women’s Participation in the AfCFTA

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