South Africa is pushing for a 15-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), arguing that a longer-term deal would strengthen trade, investment and supply chain resilience between Africa and the United States.
In a submission to the Office of the US Trade Representative, South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition said a predictable and development-focused renewal of Agoa would support regional value chains linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“South Africa supports an ambitious, predictable and development-oriented renewal of at least 15 years,” the department said, adding that a longer agreement would encourage investment and infrastructure development while improving supply chain resilience.
Agoa grants qualifying African countries duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products, including vehicles, textiles and agricultural goods. The current extension, approved under the administration of Donald Trump, expires at the end of 2026.
Pretoria warned that uncertainty over the programme could hurt both South African and US businesses. Officials also argued that eligibility assessments should account for inequality and poverty levels, not only gross national income per capita, despite South Africa’s classification as an upper-middle-income country.
