Briefing Paper

South Africa’s Trade Policy: Regional Perspectives for Global Success

“South African regional trade and development
policy is at a critical juncture in its unique history. Having broken from its apartheid past, South Africa is moving slowly towards charting new public policy. Trade policy is one facet set to
undergo dramatic change as the government
constructs a new regional trade policy premised on export-based growth. In line with this, South Africa is liberalising its trade relations according to WTO
rules and gradually restructuring its own domestic economy in the process. This discussion has sketched out only in rough
detail one of many scenarios in the coming regional trade debate and is aimed at provoking thought on alternative paths towards both economic growth in
South Africa and regional development.”