SACU Summit: Member States Accelerate AfCFTA Tariffs and Customs Enforcement

Posted 26 June 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Customs and Excise

Brought to you by SAnews: The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) has committed to accelerating regional reforms, implementing tariff concessions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and intensifying joint customs enforcement operations to recover unpaid excise duties and value-added tax (VAT).

During the 9th SACU Summit held in Cape Town, member states — comprising Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa — reviewed progress on the SACU Strategic Plan for 2022–2027. A primary regulatory focus is the alignment of national tariff books with the agreed-upon tariff concessions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which are now being actively implemented by all five member states to facilitate intra-African trade.

Of immediate significance to tax and customs practitioners, the Summit highlighted the success of joint regional enforcement operations executed under the SACU customs compliance framework. These operations specifically targeted the illicit trade of tobacco and tobacco products, resulting in seizures, administrative penalties, and the recovery of outstanding excise duties and VAT under the respective member states’ fiscal legislation, such as South Africa’s Customs and Excise Act, No. 91 of 1964.

The Summit also endorsed recommendations from the SACU Ministerial Retreat of 24 June 2026 to fast-track cross-border industrialisation. Key regulatory and policy developments currently underway include:

  • The establishment of regional value chains and harmonised standards for fertilisers, agrochemicals, seed production, automotive manufacturing, and battery production.
  • The finalisation of a long-term industrialisation and export strategy to diversify markets and mitigate geopolitical trade risks.
  • The development of a dedicated financing mechanism to fund cross-border industrialisation and infrastructure projects.
  • An upcoming regional investment roundtable scheduled for late 2026 to mobilise funding for these priority sectors.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Keep abreast of updated tariff codes and preferential origin rules under the AfCFTA to advise on cross-border transaction structuring within the SACU region.
  • For your business: Ensure strict compliance with customs declarations and excise duties, particularly if trading in excisable goods like tobacco, as joint SACU enforcement operations and audits are intensifying.
  • For your clients: Advise clients in the agricultural, automotive, and chemical sectors to prepare for new regional value chain opportunities and potential funding access via the upcoming SACU financing mechanism and investment roundtable.

Originally published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/president-urges-faster-sacu-reforms

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