Blog

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

Are Trade Remedies important for achieving the AfCFTA Goals?

Trade remedies (TR) are trade policy tools used by governments to take remedial action against imports which cause injury to domestic industries. TR consist of anti-dumping (AD), counterva... read more

Africa should not ignore what happened in Buenos Aires

The 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Buenos Aires was a disappointment. The meeting concluded without any new deals and no signs that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) will be ado... read more

The AfCFTA: It’s not just about the tariffs

Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is part of a broader program for African integration. But integration is not an end in itself. The expectation is that this integration will... read more

The SADC Tribunal Saga continues before the South African Courts

An unprecedented application has been set down for hearing, by the High Court in Pretoria, on 5-7 February 2018. The Court is asked to declare President Zuma’s support of the suspension ... read more

A Letter to Mr. Ramaphosa: South Africa in Africa

The election of Mr. Ramaphosa as ANC leader has caused a flurry of optimistic expectations at home and abroad. South Africans (and others) are eager for good news. Mr. Zuma’s presidency ... read more

The 30th AU Summit adopts decisions key to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda

From 22 to 29 January 2018, the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the 30th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit. The 30th AU Summit took p... read more

International arbitration legislation now in force – Implications for South Africa and cross-border businesses

The long-awaited South African international arbitration legislation is now in force.[1] The International Arbitration Act 15 of 2017 (International Arbitration Act) was passed by the Nati... read more

Competition policy as an instrument for economic transformation – a careful balancing act

On 1 December 2017 the Competition Amendment Bill, 2017 was published for public comments (click here to download). According to the Economic Development Minister, Ebrahim Patel, the Bill ... read more

Cumulation provisions in the SADC EPA

Earlier this week, visiting officials from the European Commission provided insight at a Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) workshop into the cumulation provisions contained in the SADC-EU... read more

Zimbabwean government issues investment guidelines

The new Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) under President Munangagwa’s administration is determined to attract private investment as a vehicle for advancing economic recovery. It recognises t... read more

A tralac Perspective on the bigger picture for 2018

The Trade Law Centre (tralac) monitors integration, trade and governance in Africa. The fact that developments in Southern and Eastern Africa are more frequently covered does not mean that... read more

An Opportunity for South Africa to pursue new regional Policies?

South Africa is in the midst of a political battle. At the end of 2017 the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), elected Cyril Ramaphosa as its new leader, after a hotly conte... read more