South Africa, Kenya advance trade links with Beijing

South Africa and Kenya have become the latest African countries to make progress on trade deals with Beijing as both nations work toward duty-free access and hail opportunities in China's market.

China and South Africa signed a framework agreement on economic partnership for shared prosperity on Friday, which is expected to boost two-way trade and investment collaboration.

China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said that China and South Africa have closely collaborated, achieving remarkable outcomes in bilateral economic and trade cooperation. China is willing to work with South Africa to further explore the potential of bilateral trade, he said.

By negotiating and signing an economic partnership agreement, China will ensure that South Africa enjoys zero tariffs for 100 percent of exports in a manner consistent with WTO rules, Wang said. He added that this will also provide a long-term, stable, and predictable institutional guarantee for comprehensively elevating the level of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

China announced last year that it will grant zero tariffs to all 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing. Negotiations with South Africa and Kenya are working toward sealing the deal.

South Africa's Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said in a statement that as the country grows ties with China, new opportunities emerge for businesses seeking to enter the Chinese market, particularly in sectors such as mining, agriculture, renewable energy, and technology.

The agreement is also expected to increase Chinese investment in South Africa, particularly in industries that support job creation, local manufacturing and technology transfer, he said.

South Africa is a major destination for Chinese investments in Africa and the leading African country in terms of actual investments in China.

"We have seen a significant and steady increasing number of Chinese investments in South Africa, whilst South African companies are showing a growing interest in investing in the Chinese market. Chinese automotive companies are investing into the South African economy and creating much-needed employment opportunities. We look forward to attracting more Chinese investment into South Africa, and also introducing many South African products into the Chinese market," Tau said.

Meanwhile, Kenya has struck a preliminary trade deal with China that would give 98 percent of its exports duty-free access to China, Nairobi said, with a full, final agreement in the pipeline, Reuters reported last month.

Kenya's Investment, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said in an interview with local media on Wednesday that the agreement, once finalized, will allow Kenyan goods to enter China without tariffs or volume restrictions, opening access to a market of more than 1.4 billion consumers.

"Kenya is a regional champion in the competition, and last year, in 2025, we created a vision that involved how we will improve our trade with China, noting that there are huge lessons to learn from China," Kinyanjui said.

He said Kenyan farmers are expected to be among the biggest beneficiaries, particularly producers of avocados, tea, coffee and flowers — commodities that have seen rising demand in Asian markets.

Kinyanjui said the government will deploy officers across the country to guide farmers in meeting export quality requirements.

"China has a huge population, and if they just take even 1 percent of their pork or avocado from us, we can completely plug into that market and change our youth and employment status," he said.

He added that increased market access could also grow agro-processing and value-added industries, boosting rural incomes and creating employment opportunities in Kenya while supporting the sustainable development of the country.

sharon@chinadailyafrica.com