South Africa's 'Top 100' plan to sell more to China duty-free
China's zero-tariff window runs to April 2028. Trade minister Parks Tau wants firms to turn interest into deals.
Pretoria — South Africa has picked 100 value-added products to push into China while Beijing's zero-tariff offer to African countries lasts, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau told business leaders in Pretoria on Thursday, SAnews reports.
The window
China's unilateral scheme gives duty-free access for all products except 47 tariff lines under quotas, from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028, as long as goods meet the rules of origin. Exporters are already moving: SARS issued 25,975 certificates of origin between June and August, and customs declarations rose 199% year on year.
The "Top 100" list covers agro-processing, beverages, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, machinery, medical equipment, metal products, plastics and rubber, and automotive parts. Tau urged firms not to wait the period out but to move from interest to deals.
The bigger picture
- Two-way trade reached R642 billion in 2025, up from R483 billion in 2021; exports to China rose from R198 billion to R222 billion.
- South Africa and China are negotiating an Early Harvest Agreement through the Southern African Customs Union to give exporters certainty after 2028, with safeguards for local jobs.
- Chery has taken over Nissan's former Rosslyn plant, keeping 692 workers and planning close to 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, and the IDC is backing a feasibility study into local battery-cell manufacturing.
Source: SAnews, 22 October 2026.
