Ramaphosa Focuses on Strengthening African Trade Through AfCFTA

• President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa is looking to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement and other agreements in Africa to strengthen economic ties
• This was after South Africa was not spared on the list of countries hit by United States President Donald Trump's tariffs, experiencing a 30% tariff hike
• Ramaphosa said the country also signed a trade and investment package worth R90 billion during the European Union-South Africa Summit and will continue strengthening ties with other regions in Africa

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international relations, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

PRETORIA — President Cyril Ramaphosa said on 14 April 2025 that the government will focus more on strengthening its relationship with other African countries through trade agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to foster economic bonds for trade.

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What did President Ramaphosa say?

Ramaphosa spoke in his weekly newsletter, From the Desk of the President, and said trade between nations is a vital part of economic progress. He said the government is working to use the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Products produced in South Africa, including copper, cement, electrical goods, pharmaceutical goods and fresh produce, have been exported to African markets.

What is the AfCFTA?

The AfCFTA is a trade agreement ratified by 47 countries in 2021. The goal of the agreement is, among others, to eliminate tariffs on 90% of goods traded between African states. It also seeks to harmonise trade rules and promote job creation, industrialisation and economic diversification. It also seeks to promote free movement of capital, services and people.

EU invested billions in SA

Ramaphosa also pointed out that last month's European Union-South Africa Summit, which was held in Cape Town, yielded positive results. A R90 billion trade and investment package was signed, which will allow South Africa to export more products into the European Union. The president called for free and predictable trade governed by a rules-based system.

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Tensions between SA and the United States

• As a trade war looms on the horizon, the South African rand hit new lows against the British pound after Trump announced global tariffs, which included South Africa, causing market instability
• China reciprocated with an 84% tariff hike on American products against Trump's 104% tariff hike he slapped China with
• Trump halted the planned tariff increases on 9 April for 90 days, exempting China from the tariff increase pause

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on SABC News' Facebook post discussed the AfCFTA and trade with African states.

Orange Opinion said:

"You can start by making Julius Malema the ambassador to Yoweri Museveni's Uganda."

Nico Wiese said;

"ANC is good at looking and not securing or delivering."

Mbuso Simelane said:

"Africa should be uniting now. This is the time."

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Zondwa Npheche said:

"We appreciate that attitude, Mr President. Let's also focus on improving as well as strengthening trade relations in the continent."

Cindy Khumalo said:

"If SA can work with Traore, we will go somewhere."

Allenangel De Almeida said:

"Sounds great until you remember loadshedding, collapsing rail and ports that can't move goods."

EFF hits back at Trump after expressing G20 Summit attendance doubts

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Economic Freedom Fighters on 12 April slammed Trump after the US president expressed doubt about his attendance at the G20 Summit. Trump's statements echoed Secretary of State Marco Rubio's earlier announcement that he would not attend the summit in November.

Trump said he could not attend the Summit while South Africa was killing white farmers and stealing their land. The EFF responded and said Trump lost touch and sense of reality. It also accused him of continuing his disinformation campaign against South Africa and using the country as an excuse not to face his international peers over the tariff fracas.

Source: Briefly News