Tau Says African Countries Want More Investment from South Africa

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau says some African countries are seeking a deeper role for South Africa in their economies in exchange for access to their markets, as Pretoria works to resolve trade disputes with continental partners.

Speaking to SABC News at the 8th annual Kgalema Motlanthe Drakensberg Forum in KwaZulu-Natal, Tau said trade friction was affecting progress under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

South Africa is currently involved in trade disputes with Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique.

Tau said regional trade integration had advanced, but unresolved disagreements remained a concern.

He described the government’s approach as constructive and focused on finding solutions that protect South Africa’s interests while supporting fair, mutually beneficial relationships with other African countries.

Some partners, he said, want South Africa to contribute to investment and industrial development locally, rather than simply export goods into their markets.

“We’d want to see South Africa as an investor in our countries and not just as an exporter into those countries. So it’s a legitimate issue.

It’s about whether we can improve logistics. Can we partner in relation to financing mechanisms? Can we share technology?

So it’s pretty much the same demands we make on the rest of the world, where our counterparts on the continent are saying, ‘Can South Africa assume a much more direct role to ensure that we benefit mutually and that industrialisation also happens in our countries?’”

The minister’s comments point to the broader debate over what market access should involve as African nations seek to develop local industries and increase the benefits they gain from trade.

The questions raised include whether South African businesses can invest more directly, help improve logistics, contribute to financing arrangements and share technology.

Tau said these requests were legitimate, framing them as similar to the expectations South Africa makes of trading partners elsewhere in the world.

He said the government was seeking practical ways to address concerns while maintaining relationships across the continent.

The AfCFTA aims to increase trade between African countries, but disputes and differing expectations can complicate efforts to put regional integration into practice.

Tau’s remarks indicate that market access is not the only issue under discussion: partners are also seeking greater participation in investment and industrialisation.

South Africa’s trade ties with its neighbours and other continental economies are important to the country’s exporters and investors.

Resolving disagreements, while responding to calls for shared economic benefits, will be central to strengthening those links.

Tau did not detail the specific steps under consideration in each dispute.

His comments instead highlighted the government’s stated focus on dialogue and solutions that enable trade while supporting industrial development in South Africa and across the continent.

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