More markets, suppliers needed in AfCFTA

MBABANE – A market with over one billion consumers is in need of more suppliers and products in the long term.

7he $frican &ontinental )ree 7rade $rea $f&)7$ marNet Slatform has Srovided more marNet oSSortunities which are now available in addition to the 6$&8 and &20(6$ marNets

7raders can access these mar Nets throuJh (,3$ which is in charJe of the investment oSSor tunities in the country $f&)7$ has Sroven to be an enablinJ Slatform for develoSment es Secially in the area of trade and business Jrowth

7his was accordinJ to the +ead of 7rade of the (swatini ,nvestment 3romotion $uthority (,3$ %onJani 1tshanJase (,3$ released a statement com memoratinJ $frica 'ay as well as (,3$¶s role in facilitatinJ trade and investment in (swatini and SlayinJ a central role in the facil itation of the $f&)7$

1tshanJase said ³,ntra $f rican trade is a very imSortant element that is not to be iJnored esSecially when looNinJ at trade between (swatini $frica and the rest of the world $frica has emerJed as an attractive marNet for e[Sort oriented comSanies and manufacturers across the world as demand for consumer and caSital Joods in $frica has been JrowinJ at a steady Sace in the last few years ´

$ccordinJ to the 8nited 1a tions &onference on 7rade and 'eveloSment $frica imSorted about Ser cent of its food from outside the continent amountinJ to 86 billion and e[Sected to reach 86 billion by

1tshanJase added that the toS Sroducts that $frica was imSort inJ from the rest of the world were automotives comSuters ,7 Sroducts clothinJ and fashion accessories Sharmaceuticals machinery and enJineerinJ Srod ucts and chemicals

³7hese Sroducts are in hiJh demand in $frica for a number of reasons includinJ the hiJh levels of economic Jrowth and urbanisation within $frican so ciety ´ he added

6outh $frica is one of (swati ni¶s biJJest trade Sartners with ( billion of our local Joods beinJ sent to them every year

1tshanJase mentioned that althouJh (swatini also sub scribes to the &ommon 0arNet for (astern and 6outhern $frica &20(6$ the $f&)7$ has oSened uS new and e[citinJ oSSortunities for enhanced trade with our e[istinJ trade Sartners as well as new oSSortunities in :est 1orth and &entral $frica +e said currently (swatini e[ Sorts to these reJions chemicals suJar SulS and wood Sroducts te[tiles and Srocessed food

(,3$ is of the view that due to the worN of entities liNe (,3$ and &20(6$ the country has been Sut in a Jood Sosition to fully utilise $f&)7$ oSSortunities

7hey said with the introduc tion of retail Slatforms such as %uy(swatini com which was launched last year (swatini¶s tradinJ Sotential is marNeted with ease

³7his Suts the country in a Srime Sosition to successfully marNet its Joods to the rest of the world $ccordinJ to the state ment %uy(swatini will continue to oSerate as a Sermanent virtual cataloJue of Joods and services offered by traders from all over (swatini ´

³$f&)7$ seeNs to create one of the biJJest marNets to comSete with other localised marNets such as &hina with a domestic marNet of billion consumers ,ndia with a domestic marNet of billion consumers (uroSe with a domestic marNet of million consumers and the 8nited 6tates of $merica with a domestic mar Net of million consumers ´ added 1tshanJase