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  1. Negotiations

South Africa


South Africa signed an important FTA with the European Union back in 1999. That deal not only had lasting impacts on South Africa itself, but it set the stage for a stronger drive from the EU (and from EFTA) to get African nations to sign on to deeper liberalisation of trade and investment policies in the following decade, especially through the EU-ACP EPA negotiating process.

South Africa is member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) which has been negotiating an FTA with the US since many years. In 2006, SACU signed an FTA with Mercosur. In 2007, they sealed a deal with EFTA.

On its own, South Africa has a bilateral FTA with SADC (Southern Africa Development Cooperation). It also has preferential agreements with Malawi, Zimbabwe and Croatia plus a non-reciprocal trade arrangement with Mozambique. At present, it is considering further bilateral deals with Kenya, Nigeria, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and India. In late 2011, it rejected a proposal from Turkey for an FTA claiming this would bring about destructive competition which would undermine South Africa’s industrial and employment objectives.

South Africa is also part of IBSA, the India-Brazil-SA triangle that is hoping to forge a trilateral South-South FTA.

last update: May 2012
Photo: Maersk/CC BY-SA 2.0

See also
EFF urges SA to reject AGOA extension, accuses US of geopolitical self-interest
22-Jan-2026     IOL
The EFF has called on the South African government to reject the recent extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), warning that the programme primarily serves US geopolitical and economic interests rather than advancing African development.
South Africa wants to ensure it is included in any AGOA extension, trade ministry says
13-Dec-2025     CNBC Africa
South Africa is committed to ensuring that it is included in any extension of U.S. trade initiative the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
South Africa sees US trade negotiations continuing despite G20 differences
1-Dec-2025     Reuters
South Africa's trade minister said on Sunday that he expected negotiations with the U.S. over a trade deal would continue, despite differences between the two countries over this weekend's Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg.
EU and South Africa sign first-ever Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP)
22-Nov-2025     Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security
The EU and South Africa signed the first-ever Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP), building on the EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership and the Economic Partnership Agreement.
South Africa, PH eye free trade agreement
27-Mar-2024     Sunstar
The South African and the Philippine governments are looking to enter into a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost both nation’s trade relations.
SA’s AGOA deal in jeopardy after US Congressmen call for review of SA-US bilateral relationship
12-Feb-2024     IOL
South Africa’s trade benefits under the African Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) are in jeopardy after US Congressmen last week sought a full review of the bilateral relationship with South Africa.
South Africa government officials head to US to save AGOA trade deal
12-Jul-2023     ZAWYA
A South African government delegation will embark on a charm offensive in the US this week aiming to defuse tensions with the African nation’s second-biggest trading partner over foreign policy and retain its preferential access to American markets.
Saudi-South African economic relations on a steady upward trajectory
18-Oct-2022     IOL
South Africa aims to become Saudi Arabia's gateway for African markets in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
South Africa raises poultry-import tariffs, drawing US ire
16-Mar-2020     Bloomberg
The announcement immediately drew criticism from the US government, which previously threatened to exclude South Africa from a preferential trade agreement after a disagreement over the levies in 2015.