Madagascar gets duty-free access to SA

THE GIANT Indian Ocean island of the Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) – a strange mix of an almost stoneage population with a thin fringe of first world culture – has just acceded to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) free-trade protocol. In joining this agreement it has been accorded duty-free status on its exports to SA (retrospective to October 1, 2007) – with a similar duty-free access for SA exports to Madagascar.