South Africa announced on Friday that its trade minister signed a framework economic partnership agreement during an official visit to China, describing the deal as a key step toward gaining duty-free entry for South African exports into the Chinese market.
The country, Africa’s largest economy, is looking to expand exports as it navigates a tariff dispute with the United States, its second-biggest trading partner after China. In August, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African goods entering the U.S., the highest level among Sub-Saharan African nations.
In a statement, South Africa’s trade ministry said Minister Parks Tau and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao signed the “Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Prosperity.”
The ministry added that the framework will be followed by an “Early Harvest Agreement” expected by the end of March 2026, which would pave the way for China to grant duty-free access to South African exports.
China previously announced in June that it planned to remove tariffs on imports from the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties, after the U.S. began rolling out tariffs globally. Kenya, East Africa’s largest economy, also revealed last month that it had reached a preliminary trade agreement with China.
South Africa’s trade ministry said stronger trade links with China could open new opportunities for local companies aiming to enter the Chinese market, especially in sectors such as mining and agriculture.
Tau said negotiations would include safeguards to protect South Africa’s domestic industrial base.
China has also invited South Africa to participate in an event promoting investment in the country’s steel sector. Tau added that South Africa hopes to attract more Chinese investment while expanding the presence of South African goods in the Chinese market.
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