Following the end of apartheid and the holding of multi-party elections in 1994, South Africa embarked on new economic and trade reforms and is now rapidly re-integrating its economy into the multilateral trading system. South Africa is by far the largest trading partner in both the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Under the SACU, members apply to imports customs, excise, sales, anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties, and other related laws set by. The agreement provides for duty-free circulation of goods within the five-country customs union and grants transit rights across South African territory. SADC, on the other hand, sets out a timetable for the creation of a free-trade area encompassing the free movement of capital, goods, services and labour. SADC, an agreement which is to have its own dispute settlement mechanism, is also a forum for political co-operation. The structure of the SACU’s common external ...
