Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies

Cape Town – The first phase of setting up a free trade area across 26 countries in Africa is expected to come into effect in three years, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said on Monday.

Briefing the media in Parliament, following Sunday’s meeting in Sandton to set up a free trade area between the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the East African Community (EAC), Davies said member countries had agreed to carry out negotiations in two phases – with the first to be concluded within 36 months. [Read more…]