SINCE THE inception of the African Growth and Opportunity Act in January 2001, South Africa has been the second largest beneficiary after Nigeria. However, Angola’s inclusion in January 2004 means that South Africa is likely to have moved to third place, according to Standard Bank researcher Shireen Darmalingham. “Agoa has undoubtedly provided opportunities for South African exporters, and the US still remains the country’s third largest trading partner after Europe and the East,” she said. While the products exported by most Agoa beneficiaries are generally dominated by a single product (crude oil in the case of Nigeria, Angola and Gabon), exports from South Africa are fairly diverse, with the main ones being motor vehicles, diamonds, and platinum.
