On 24 September 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) advised that under the framework of its and the European Union’s (EU) Rules of Origin (RoO) Africa Programme, in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), had conducted a RoO workshop from 08 to 10 September 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa, for Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) freight forwarders.
This workshop marks the first step in a comprehensive and sustainable RoO capacity-building intervention aimed at enhancing intra-African trade, trade between Africa and Europe, and trade between Africa and the rest of the world. In attendance were the President of Federation of Clearing & Forwarding Associations of Sovereign Africa, freight forwarding officials of national associations from Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as SADC Secretariat and Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat representatives.
This regional capacity-building intervention for the SADC freight forwarders is timely, considering their vital role in the international trade supply chain, which includes advisory services to importers/exporters, transportation and warehousing logistics, Customs brokerage, and liaison between importers/exporters and border agencies, among others. Regarding the implementation of the AfCFTA, freight forwarders play an indispensable role in advising traders on whether goods qualify for preferential tariff treatment or not, ensuring compliance with administrative requirements such as those concerning consignment criteria and proof of origin, and facilitating the efficient movement of goods.
Considering the sector’s unique training needs in the area of RoO, the training was custom-made to enable learners to acquire the knowledge and skills required to determine whether goods qualify for preferential tariff treatment by accurately applying originating products conditions, territorial requirements and proof of origin procedures. Highly engaging learning sessions were facilitated through the use of exercises, case studies, illustrations, and plenary discussions, among other learning activities.
The closing ceremony was attended by the EU’s delegation representative for the SADC region, who reiterated that freight forwarders were the implementers of cross-border trade policies and laws, as well as key contributors to the regional integration agenda in Africa, and were therefore instrumental in enhancing preferential trade in Africa. The representative further recognised the tangible opportunities afforded by the AfCFTA and the benefits realised from the RoO workshop, including fruitful dialogue between the Secretariats and the freight forwarders. Lastly, he encouraged the learners to take the lessons learnt back to their countries.
The EU-WCO Origin for Africa Programme celebrates the long-standing and mutually beneficial partnership with the GIZ, the SADC Secretariat, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, which has created invaluable synergies for capacity building among Customs, other government agencies, and the private sector in the SADC region.