Since the start of the preferential trade under African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) on 31 January 2024, South Africa’s preferential exports have steadily increased. The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Andrew Whitfield, mentioned this during an address at the National Council of Provinces Africa Day public lecture in parliament today.
The theme of the lecture was Pioneering Africa’s Inclusive Economic Growth Through The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement: Optimising our Levers for Building the Africa We Want.
According to Whitfield, from January 2024 to March 2025, South Africa’s exports under AfCFTA preferences amounted to approximately R820 million, spanning a diverse range of products, including mining equipment, appliances, food items, apparel, plastics, and electrical machinery.
“Currently, our main export destinations within the AfCFTA framework include Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Algeria. Imports from AfCFTA implementing countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia amounted to approximately R610 million during the same period,” added Whitfield.
In the midst of the current environment of geopolitical competition and continued economic uncertainties, growing protectionist measures and the movement from globalisation to regionalisation of production value chains, Whitfield said the importance of Africa’s economic integration agenda cannot be overemphasised.
He described the AfCFTA as a suitable platform for economic transformation and development of Africa, and aims to put the continent on a sustainable growth path. Furthermore, he said the AfCFTA is a policy tool that seeks to promote the economic integration, industrialisation, infrastructure development and to achieve sustainable economic development, for both South Africa and the continent at large and foster the development of regional value-chains.
“This agreement signals a bold step towards deepening continental integration by simultaneously negotiating free trade in goods and services,” said Whitfield.
“South Africa will continue to collaborate with the AfCFTA Secretariat, African Union Commission, Southern African Customs Union Member States to ensure full implementation of the AfCFTA. To ensure that businesses capitalise on AfCFTA opportunities, the dtic has several initiatives, which include the planned Export Promotion initiatives where support will be offered to the private sector and businesses to connect them with buyers and importers, with a view to promote integration into regional and global value chains.
“As of April 2025, 48 Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concessions covering 90% of the tariff books have been adopted by the AfCFTA Council of Ministers of Trade for implementation. Of these, 23 countries have concluded their national domestication processes and gazetted their tariff schedules for implementation,” outlined Whitfield.
Furthermore, Whitfield announced that, South Africa is in a process of establishing the AfCFTA National Implementation Committee to ensure a coordinated effort between government and stakeholders to maximise opportunities and minimise challenges.
Although progress has been witnessed, Whitfield, said there is still structural and policy related barriers which require attention at a Continental level and in each of the AfCFTA State Parties.
“The non-implementation of commitments remains a key concern. We have been the subject of tariff measures and non-tariff barriers in our regional agreements. While we continue to prioritise the resolution of these barriers bilaterally and multilaterally, we need to establish a mechanism to quickly and effectively respond in a manner than does not negatively impact our exporters,” concluded Whitfield.
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Yamkela Fanisi – Ministerial Spokesperson
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
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