Reform · South Africa
South Africa trading under the AfCFTA through the SACU tariff offer
Record ZAF-T-0001 · draft, not yet reviewed by a person
Status by track
LegalIn force · 31 Jan 2024sources checked 27 Oct 2026
The Council of Ministers endorsed the Southern African Customs Union's common tariff offer on 31 May 2023. South Africa gazetted it on 26 January 2024 (Notice R.4281), with effect from 31 January 2024. The offer covers Category A, 90% of the tariff book; the sensitive and excluded categories (the other 10%) were still being negotiated in 2025.
- SACU offer endorsed by the Council of Ministers · 31 May 2023"The Extraordinary Session of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers held on 31 May 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, endorsed the SACU's Tariff Offer that was verified to be compliant with the modalities for tariff liberalisation with South Africa committing to operationalise the AfCFTA with effect from the 31 January 2024." "The Extraordinary Session of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers held on 31 May 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, endorsed the SACU's Tariff Offer that was verified to be compliant with the modalities for tariff liberalisation with South Africa committing to operationalise the AfCFTA with effect from the 31 January 2024."not yet checked by a personLetter to trade: Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement · PDF p.1 of 2 · not yet checked by a person
- SACU Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions (Category A) · 26 Jan 2024"South Africa gazetted the SACU Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions (Category A covering 90% of the tariff book) on 26 January 2024" "South Africa gazetted the SACU Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions (Category A covering 90% of the tariff book) on 26 January 2024"not yet checked by a personReply to question NW2213, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (National Assembly) · reply to part (2), second paragraph · not yet checked by a person
- Notice R.4281 (SACU Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions in Part 1 of Schedule No. 1) · 31 Jan 2024"Amendment to Part 1 of Schedule No. 1, by the substitution of various tariff subheadings to implement changes to the rates of customs duties in terms of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement"; effective date column: "With effect from 31 January 2024" "Amendment to Part 1 of Schedule No. 1, by the substitution of various tariff subheadings to implement changes to the rates of customs duties in terms of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement"; effective date column: "With effect from 31 January 2024"not yet checked by a personTariff amendments 2024 (list of notices amending Schedule No. 1 to the Customs and Excise Act) · table row for R.4281 (Gazette 26 January 2024, GG 50045) · not yet checked by a person
RulesTargeted · Oct 2025, Feb 2026, outcome not verifiedsources checked 27 Oct 2026
The remaining 10% of the tariff book (7% sensitive products, liberalised more slowly, and 3% excluded) was expected to be concluded by October 2025 for adoption by the AU Summit in February 2026. Whether negotiations concluded, and an adopted SACU schedule for those categories, were not found in the sources read.
- SACU Schedule of Tariff Concessions (Categories B and C) · target: concluded by October 2025"Final implementation of the Schedules of Tariff Concessions will be undertaken when the remaining 10% category of the tariff books (7% sensitive products – subject to a longer period of liberalisation; and 3% excluded products) have been finalised. This is expected to be concluded by October 2025" "Final implementation of the Schedules of Tariff Concessions will be undertaken when the remaining 10% category of the tariff books (7% sensitive products – subject to a longer period of liberalisation; and 3% excluded products) have been finalised. This is expected to be concluded by October 2025"not yet checked by a personReply to question NW2213, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (National Assembly) · reply to part (2), eighth paragraph · not yet checked by a person
- SACU Schedule of Tariff Concessions (Categories B and C) · target: for adoption by the AU Summit in February 2026the remaining 10% is expected to be concluded "for adoption by the African Union (AU) Summit in February 2026" the remaining 10% is expected to be concluded "for adoption by the African Union (AU) Summit in February 2026"not yet checked by a personReply to question NW2213, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (National Assembly) · reply to part (2), eighth paragraph · not yet checked by a person
DeliveryPartly operating · May 2025sources checked 27 Oct 2026
Trade under the offer began on 31 January 2024 with seven partners outside SADC (Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Tunisia); SARS certified the first two consignments, to Ghana and Kenya. By May 2025 the minister listed 23 countries implementing preferential trade, which gave South Africa and SACU new access to 13 countries outside SADC. Trade with SADC partners stays under the SADC Trade Protocol. South Africa is among the 12 State Parties the Secretariat lists as trading in July 2026. How much has been traded was not found in the sources read.
- first trade under the AfCFTA · 31 Jan 2024"the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition launched the implementation of the start of preferential trade by South Africa" and "SARS certified two consignments destined to Ghana and Kenya respectively"; "the actual trade commenced on the 31 January 2024 for the approved published tariff offers to and from the countries mentioned above" "the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition launched the implementation of the start of preferential trade by South Africa" and "SARS certified two consignments destined to Ghana and Kenya respectively"; "the actual trade commenced on the 31 January 2024 for the approved published tariff offers to and from the countries mentioned above"not yet checked by a personLetter to trade: Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement · PDF pp.1-2 of 2 · not yet checked by a person
- first partner countries · 1 Feb 2024"The following countries have finalised the necessary domestic legislation for the implementation of their respective tariff reduction commitments and are legible to trade with South Africa under the AfCFTA: Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tunisia. It should be noted that trading with the SADC countries takes place under the SADC Trade Protocol." "The following countries have finalised the necessary domestic legislation for the implementation of their respective tariff reduction commitments and are legible to trade with South Africa under the AfCFTA: Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tunisia. It should be noted that trading with the SADC countries takes place under the SADC Trade Protocol."not yet checked by a personLetter to trade: Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement · PDF p.1 of 2 · not yet checked by a person
- countries implementing preferential trade, May 2025 · May 2025"of the 48 adopted offers, the following 23 countries have started implementing preferential trade"; "The new market access for South Africa and SACU is to 13 non-SADC countries"; "South Africa and SACU member states' trade with Mauritius, Seychelles, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania will continue under the SADC Trade Protocol and preferences." "of the 48 adopted offers, the following 23 countries have started implementing preferential trade"; "The new market access for South Africa and SACU is to 13 non-SADC countries"; "South Africa and SACU member states' trade with Mauritius, Seychelles, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania will continue under the SADC Trade Protocol and preferences."not yet checked by a personReply to question NW2213, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (National Assembly) · reply to part (2), fourth to sixth paragraphs · not yet checked by a person
Not established
- What South Africa has exported or imported under AfCFTA preferences, and to whom. Not found in the sources read.
- The minister's 13 "non-SADC" countries are shown in bold in the original reply; the copy read has no bold, so which 13 is not recorded here.
Evidence
- how new partners are added"As other countries implement their approved tariff offers, the countries will be added to the list of names in South Africa's domestic legislation with whom preferential trade under the AfCFTA can take place." "As other countries implement their approved tariff offers, the countries will be added to the list of names in South Africa's domestic legislation with whom preferential trade under the AfCFTA can take place."not yet checked by a personReply to question NW2213, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (National Assembly) · reply to part (2), seventh paragraph · not yet checked by a person
Blockers
Connections
- Joint action or dependency with Tariff schedules
Institutions named
A role is shown only where a quoted source says what the institution does on this reform.
- AfCFTA Council of Ministersdecides endorsed SACU's tariff offer as compliant, on 31 May 2023 "The Extraordinary Session of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers held on 31 May 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, endorsed the SACU's Tariff Offer that was verified to be compliant with the modalities for tariff liberalisation with South Africa committing to operationalise the AfCFTA with effect from the 31 January 2024."not yet checked by a person
- South African Revenue Serviceimplements certified the first two consignments under the AfCFTA, to Ghana and Kenya "the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition launched the implementation of the start of preferential trade by South Africa" and "SARS certified two consignments destined to Ghana and Kenya respectively"; "the actual trade commenced on the 31 January 2024 for the approved published tariff offers to and from the countries mentioned above"not yet checked by a person
- Department of Trade, Industry and Competitionimplements launched South Africa's preferential trade under the AfCFTA (the Minister), and reports to Parliament on which partners trade under it "the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition launched the implementation of the start of preferential trade by South Africa" and "SARS certified two consignments destined to Ghana and Kenya respectively"; "the actual trade commenced on the 31 January 2024 for the approved published tariff offers to and from the countries mentioned above"not yet checked by a person"of the 48 adopted offers, the following 23 countries have started implementing preferential trade"; "The new market access for South Africa and SACU is to 13 non-SADC countries"; "South Africa and SACU member states' trade with Mauritius, Seychelles, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania will continue under the SADC Trade Protocol and preferences."not yet checked by a person
Reach: 1 cross-border links, 1 blockers, 3 institutions in 2 countries or bodies. Counted from the records.