Blog

Identifying the role of civil society in the SADC EPA

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

Does Rand Depreciation Help South Africa’s Exports?

In the 1930s, before the era of floating exchange rates, countries would try to gain a competitive advantage for their exports by means of ‘competitive devaluation’. This practice refe... read more

2018 SADC Summit – Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development

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

AGOA Forum 2018 outcomes: where to for a future bilateral trade relationship between the United States and Africa?

Earlier in July 2018 the annual United States – Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (“AGOA Forum”) drew to a conclusion in Washington, D.C. This annual event, alt... read more

SADC EPA Trade Defense Mechanisms

The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) EPA Group[1] is a WTO compatible Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for li... read more

The Settlement of Disputes under the SADC EPA

African states are not known for instituting formal dispute settlement proceedings about the violation of trade agreements. They never do so amongst themselves and very seldom vis-à-vis t... read more

Is Brexit now in the Emergency Ward?

Brexit is due to happen on 29 March 2019 but there is no agreement yet on how the future relationship between the UK and the EU (the UK’s most important trading partner) will work. The U... read more

Exceptions in the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement

Part IV of the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement contains certain General Exceptions to the non-discrimination principle in the MFN and national treatment rules. Exceptions are someti... read more

Implementing the AfCFTA: When and How?

The implementation of international agreements is about achieving the objectives agreed upon. For trade agreements implementation is ultimately about ensuring active private sector partici... read more

Engaging with the international e-commerce trade agenda for structural transformation in Africa

E-commerce can be an important contributor to Africa’s structural transformation. E-commerce is not just about online shopping. E-commerce is variously defined as the purchase and sale ... read more

Trump’s Trade War: Are the Brakes failing?

It is claimed that the United States of America has the oldest written constitution in the world which is still in use. It was carefully crafted, through a system of checks and balances an... read more

AfCFTA negotiations after Kigali – keeping an eye on the end game

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations took an important step forward in early June, as the African Union (AU) Ministers of Trade adopted the legally scrubbed annexe... read more

Is the AfCFTA a Legal Person? Does it matter?

International organizations can be (and often are) subjects of international law. Whereas States possess the totality of international rights and duties recognized by international law (th... read more

How might Africa benefit from e-commerce technology?

World trade has entered a new mode; one that is to international trade what the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ is to traditional manufacturing. Digital tools now make it possible for a... read more

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and non-tariff barriers (NTBs)

Non-tariff barriers are some of the most prolific barriers to intra-Africa trade. If the AfCFTA is successful in addressing these barriers, significant progress can be made to increase int... read more

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the private sector

African leaders launched the AfCFTA on 21st March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. A formal continental trading arrangement does not yet exist. It will officially exist once the AfCFTA Agreement ha... read more

A gender responsive AfCFTA

The African Union’s agenda 2063 includes bold aspirations and targets for gender parity. It states: Africa of 2063 will have full gender parity… the economic and political glass ceili... read more

Are the Brexit options for retaining SADC-EPA Benefits becoming clearer?

Brexit will arrive in about one year from now, at the end of March 2019. There have been many statements and “clarifications” but official negotiations about how the European Union (EU... read more

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other African Union (AU) initiatives for economic integration

The AfCFTA is part of the broader economic integration and development agenda which has been Africa’s aspiration since independence and led to the formation of the Organisation of Africa... read more

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In September 2015, the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were adopted by world leaders. The overarching rationale for the SDGs is to eradicate poverty, protect the pla... read more