South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) is gearing up to enlighten operators and businesses within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) about the vast opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). In collaboration with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), a workshop is scheduled to take place at the IDC Auditorium in Sandton, beginning at 09:00 on Wednesday morning.
The workshop serves as a platform to provide comprehensive insights into the AfCFTA, including updates on negotiation statuses and implementation progress. Moreover, it aims to elucidate the benefits and export prospects that AfCFTA offers to SEZ managers, investors, and tenants. Key areas of focus include incentives, customs requirements, quality standards, and export finance insurance solutions.
Over the past decade, the Special Economic Zones Programme has fostered an enabling environment for businesses to bolster their operations. The South African government strategically utilizes SEZs to attract investments across sectors, particularly those without apparent comparative advantages, and to elevate value addition in export endeavors.
Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, Deputy Director-General of Trade at the dtic, underscores the workshop’s significance in fostering collaboration with SEZs. Mlumbi-Peter emphasizes the presentation of sector master plans and AfCFTA SEZ Ministerial Regulations during the event. Target sectors encompass steel and fabrication, agriculture and agro-processing, retail-clothing textile leather and footwear, automotive industry, sugar value chain, and forestry.
“The aim is to illuminate export opportunities for SEZs arising from AfCFTA and to sensitize them on the advantages of exporting under the agreement,” Mlumbi-Peter articulates.
For South Africa, AfCFTA beckons as a gateway for the private sector, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs), including youth and women-owned enterprises, to venture into new markets spanning East, Central, West, and North Africa.
“We aspire to incentivize companies to manufacture and export value-added products, thereby bolstering sustainable employment opportunities in new preferential markets across the African continent,” she adds.
In addition to expert insights from the dtic’s Export Desk, Proudly South African, Brand SA, and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), participants will have the opportunity to engage in fruitful discussions aimed at maximizing the potential benefits of AfCFTA for South African businesses.
This workshop signifies a pivotal step in aligning South Africa’s SEZs with the broader objectives of AfCFTA, fostering economic growth, job creation, and regional integration. As the nation navigates the evolving landscape of global trade dynamics, initiatives such as these serve as catalysts for prosperity and resilience in the face of challenges.
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