SACU+M countries are resource rich with great potential for export growth across and beyond Southern Africa. TFSA services help businesses overcome export barriers in key regional sectors.
TFSA works across five broad priority sectors that already have a significant level of export trade, indicating good potential for growth. The main barriers identified in these sectors have a lot of regional synergies and can be addresses through TFSA’s key services – access to the latest trade information and tools, and training and knowledge sharing to help businesses successfully navigate the export process and participate effectively in international trade.
TFSA priority sectors have a high participation of women, and great potential to positively impact the environment and alleviate poverty by engaging more people in production up and down the value chain. Across the SACU+M countries, businesses venturing into export trade face challenges in complying with and adhering to the standards and regulation requirements for their respective sectors. Documents detailing regulations can be difficult to locate and are often complex and challenging to understand, let alone implement. Many sectors, particularly dealing with any food or natural ingredient commodities, require testing that is not always available in-country to the level required for export.
Correctly understanding HS classification of products, especially any natural ingredient products that have multiple uses in food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals, is a main challenge both at business and customs level.
