SA is seeking eased export duties on its goods to Japan, with President Cyril Ramaphosa saying fairer market access is critical as African countries face greater trade barriers from the US.
Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (Ticad), Ramaphosa said the uncertainty of the global trade order underscored the need for SA and its neighbours to diversify its trade markets.
“SA is a leading exporter of agricultural produce and high-quality industrial products such as auto vehicles and components,” Ramaphosa said. “We call on our Japanese counterparts to support tariff co-operation to ease market access for African goods.”
The intervention reflects Pretoria’s shifting trade strategy in the wake of recent US tariff actions. Under US president Donald Trump’s administration, Washington has imposed restrictions on a range of African exports, unsettling industries in SA from wine and citrus to metals and manufactured goods. The measures have injected uncertainty into a relationship long anchored by preferential schemes such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).
Ramaphosa has punted SA as the continental platform from which Japanese firms could expand their exports across Africa. He added that Africa was not seeking aid in the wake of Washington’s trade actions but rather partnerships.
“Africa is not seeking aid. It is seeking partners. Partners that understand value co-creation, sustainable development and mutual industrialisation,” Ramaphosa said.
“SA seeks to deepen intra-African trade while becoming a continental industrial platform from which Japanese and other global firms can export into Africa. We are actively working with the AfCFTA secretariat to finalise value-chain protocols in automotive, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals and textiles.”
“We support Rules of Origin harmonisation to encourage manufacturing in Africa and the upgrading of border infrastructure to enable faster movement of goods.”
The call for tariff relief comes as Pretoria pursues a wider re-industrialisation agenda, focusing on green energy, electric vehicles and hydrogen development alongside investments in health manufacturing and digital infrastructure.
“As part of our industrial policy, we are expanding trade with key countries and improving market access for SA agricultural and industrial products, Ramaphosa said.
“We are incentivising electric vehicles and battery production, and supporting green hydrogen value chains through infrastructure and skills investment.”
On the sidelines of Ticad on Thursday, Ramaphosa told Japanese business executives the actions of the US had led SA to rethink its reliance on its historical markets.
SA has stepped up its efforts to expand into Asian markets including the re-establishment of trade offices and assistance desks.
“Prime Minister [Shigeru] Ishiba’s recent remarks on Japan’s willingness to adjust tariffs for strained partners signal an alignment that could underpin deeper bilateral tariff co-operation,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said that while more than 270 Japanese companies already operated in SA, employing more than 200,000 workers, the next phase of the relationship should focus on higher-value industries. He identified critical minerals, automotive components, renewable energy and hydrogen as areas where supply-chain integration could benefit both economies.
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