STABILITY AND VISION

Can AfCFTA boost Africa’s auto industry?

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Resilience and growth

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By Xolisa Phillip, in Johannesburg

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Posted on December 20, 2022 11:55

© VW T6 microbuses are pictured on a production line at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle plant in Hanover, Germany, June 16, 2022. REUTERS
VW T6 microbuses are pictured on a production line at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle plant in Hanover, Germany, June 16, 2022. REUTERS

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat is finalising the rules of origin package for the auto industry to be reviewed at the Council of Trade Ministers sitting scheduled for February 2023 in Botswana, Secretariat advisor Themba Khumalo has said.

Key considerations include how Africa will stop the tide – up to 50% – of second-hand vehicle imports, which are cited as an impediment to the growth potential of the region’s new passenger car market, and the harmonisation of standards.

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