Between May and August, South African deliveries to China climbed by nearly 25% to $5.3 billion, bolstered by agricultural shipments that grew by over 35% to almost $500 million.
Over the same four-month window, South African imports from Chinese manufacturers grew by 23% to $9.47 billion.
China and South Africa deepen bilateral commercial ties through zero-tariff initiative
Confirming the trade growth, China’s Ambassador to South Africa, Wu Peng, emphasized the positive impact of Beijing’s zero-tariff initiative on cross-border sales.
According to VON, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, encouraged local businesses to maximize their use of duty-free market access in China.
Tau noted that Pretoria continues ongoing negotiations to establish long-term market certainty for exporters while ensuring domestic industries remain protected.
The trade expansion forms a central part of South Africa’s broader economic strategy to diversify export destinations and lessen vulnerability to external trade shocks.
South Africa navigates uncertain U.S. trade access while turning toward China
The rapid acceleration of trade with Beijing comes as Pretoria faces growing friction in its commercial relations with Washington.
While the United States Congress voted to preserve South Africa’s duty-free privileges under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through 2028, final confirmation still requires executive approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Diplomatic tensions have mounted over policy disagreements, prompting Washington to implement visa restrictions against certain South African individuals.
Preparing the nation for possible trade disruptions, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged citizens to stay resilient.
According to Business Insider Africa, during a media brief, Ramaphosa stated, “Congress has decided that we should be kept in AGOA. What now remains is the executive,” adding, “if we ever have a choice, we are not the first and only country to be taken out of AGOA. And I believe we will not be the last”.
While acknowledging that losing duty-free U.S. access would be “devastating,” Ramaphosa cautioned against panic.
“I need, as president, to prepare us if it ever happens. So we should not go out and jump off tall buildings and think that this is the end of the world,” Ramaphosa declared.
Source: africa.businessinsider.com
