Kenya, South Africa kick off AfCFTA with first consignment
Kenya and South Africa have initiated trade deals under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) with their first consignment of machinery, agricultural products, and electronics, including refrigerators.
Kenya has made the first import consignment from South Africa as part of the agreement. In response, Kenya is to export tea, coffee, fruits, and vegetables in the upcoming weeks under the same initiative, the East African reports.
Kenya’s cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Rebecca Miano, said, “The first consignment that was flagged off to Kenya contained fridges and freezers. Going forward, we shall expect imports from South Africa only of the products we do not manufacture in Kenya. Kenya will also export to South Africa its tea, coffee, flowers, vegetables, a wide range of fruits, apparel, iron, and steel products, among others.”
Miano highlighted that both Kenya and South Africa have pledged to facilitate the entry of each other's products into their respective markets and work towards addressing non-tariff barriers. This commitment aims to enhance intra-African trade and promote economic cooperation between the two nations.
South Africa is leading among the four Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries in launching its preferential trade exports under the AfCFTA's second Guided Trade Initiative. Kenya was part of the initial pilot phase, along with Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Tunisia.
