{"id":95361,"date":"2026-02-05T11:16:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T11:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another"},"modified":"2026-02-05T11:32:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T11:32:00","slug":"south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another","title":{"rendered":"South Africa moving from one disaster to another"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>The extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) will bring much-needed relief to South Africa\u2019s agricultural and manufacturing sectors\u2014but the government\u2019s new BEE policies are tightening the screws and could cause even more damage.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump this week signed a one-year extension of AGOA, effective retroactively from September 2025 and expiring in December 2026.<\/p>\n

While it was not the three-year or longer extension that many stakeholders had hoped for, the retroactive application and non-exclusion of South Africa allows local industries to breathe a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

According to Aluma Capital Chief Economist, Frederick Mitchell, it was an unexpected twist in the AGOA saga, given South Africa\u2019s sour relationship with the United States and concerted efforts to kick the country out of the agreement.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, \u201cthis extension is critical for South African exporters who have been grappling with various challenges, particularly a hefty 30% reciprocal tariff on goods exported to the US instituted in August 2025,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For South African exporters, the AGOA agreement has traditionally facilitated duty-free access to the US market, thereby supporting various sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.<\/p>\n

South Africa has been the biggest beneficiary of the programme, exporting goods worth over R300 billion between 2019 and 2024.<\/p>\n

However, Michell warned that, even with the extension, South Africa\u2019s industries remain under severe pressure, given the existing US tariffs that undermine many of the benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, businesses in these sectors face the grim prospect of losing market share in the US due to the high tariffs. Firms may experience closures and significant job losses, exacerbating an already challenging employment landscape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Not only are industries facing external pressure from US tariffs, but they are also under siege from local government policies, tightening the screws on trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the AGOA extension provides a temporary lifeline for South African exporters, it is evident that substantial reforms are needed to ensure sustainable growth and competitiveness in both the agricultural and manufacturing sectors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAddressing regulatory burdens, fostering an enabling environment for investment, and balancing transformation objectives with economic realities are paramount.\u201d<\/p>\n

Government adding more hurdles<\/b><\/p>\n

DTIC Minister, Parks Tau<\/p>\n

Mitchell noted that the agricultural sector, one of the country\u2019s biggest employers with around 920,000 workers, is a vital part of South Africa\u2019s economic fabric.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, recent governmental policies have introduced additional layers of complexity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He pointed to new Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements, which stipulate that agricultural exporters must meet specific racial criteria to access export permits.<\/b><\/p>\n

This refers to a January gazette that noted that BEE credentials will play a role\u2014alongside historical market share and export volumes\u2014when dividing export permits to the European Union.<\/p>\n

This would impact exports such as wine, sugar, and fruit.<\/p>\n

\u201cCritics argue that these measures unfairly disadvantage white-owned farms and could stifle the very growth that South Africa desperately requires,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n

Moreover, proposed amendments to water-use licenses, which would require a significant portion of shareholding to be allocated to black South Africans, threaten the operations of established agricultural producers, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth sets of policies risk harming the food security and sustainability of an industry that not only serves domestic needs but also has vital export markets, including the EU, where specified quotas allow for predictable access.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the manufacturing side, local industries are grappling with a range of problems, including high and rising electricity costs, high taxes, and stringent labour laws.<\/p>\n

Prospects for growth remain fraught, Mitchell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe closures of key manufacturers like ArcelorMittal and GoodYear highlight the urgency for addressing systemic issues within the sector,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransitioning towards a more competitive manufacturing landscape is essential to halt the alarming trend of de-industrialisation that threatens job security for countless families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: businesstech<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. The extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) will bring much-needed relief to South Africa\u2019s agricultural and manufacturing sectors\u2014but the government\u2019s new BEE policies are tightening the screws and could cause even more damage. US President Donald Trump this week signed a one-year extension of AGOA, effective retroactively from September […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":95360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[275],"class_list":["post-95361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Africa moving from one disaster to another - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) will bring much-needed relief to South Africa\u2019s agricul ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Africa moving from one disaster to another\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) will bring much-needed relief to South Africa\u2019s agricul ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-05T11:16:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-05T11:32:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/02\/sm_1770278132.023619.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"South Africa moving from one disaster to another\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-05T11:16:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-05T11:32:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another\"},\"wordCount\":644,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/02\/sm_1770278132.023619.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Africa\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"files\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/south-africa-moving-from-one-disaster-to-another\",\"name\":\"South Africa moving from one disaster to another - 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