“The most dramatic manifestation of South Africa’s commitment to establish economic
and political credibility in the global economic arena is the recently signed Trade,
Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) between the 15 member states of the
European Union (EU) and South Africa. Extensive research has recently been
completed assessing the reaction of both these interested parties to the agreement, which came into effect on 1 January 2000. This update articulates the responses of one of these parties — business — to the perceived implications of the SA-EU TDCA. These responses derive from the interviewing of over sixty representatives from the business community from July to September, 1999. From the disparate array of responses, this update articulates the varying perceptions held by the business community by grouping the replies in four distinct but by no means separate categories:
• details and clarity;
• the broader context;
• the inexperience of the SA negotiating team; and
• tariff liberalisation.”
