By Saima Nangombe
When China opens its huge market to African exports on May 1, African governments confront a difficult question: Why is trading with Beijing easier than with neighboring countries? China’s zero-tariff policy, covering all 53 African nations with diplomatic ties, offers what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describes as “a significant boost to Africa’s trade prospects.”
However, beneath this celebration lies a paradox threatening the continent’s long-term goal of regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACTA). Intra-African trade accounts for only 14-16 percent of total continental trade, much less than Europe’s 60 percent or Asia’s 50 percent.
The World Bank estimates that full implementation of AfFTA could generate $450 billion in extra income by 2035, but progress remains slow. The main obstacles are not tariffs but structural issues. According to the ISS African Futures program, trade in Africa is “complicated and costly” due to inefficient customs, poor infrastructure, and logistical challenges. In landlocked countries, transport costs can reach 75 percent of the goods’ value.
Ghanaian trade expert Louis Yaw Afful notes micro-exporters face customs delays of up to two weeks when preparing goods for regional trade fairs. Agricultural products suffer most, as “differences in standards and inspection regimes are sometimes used as disguised trade barriers.”
Meanwhile, Benedicta Lasi, Chair of the Africa Governance Centre, warns the continent risks missing out on China’s offer entirely. “Zero tariffs do not automatically lead to exports.” Without improved production capacity, standards compliance, and export logistics, “zero tariffs will just be zero exports.” The strategic risk is that China’s open market reduces the incentive for African governments to remove their own barriers.
Why push neighbors to reform customs when Chinese ports accept goods smoothly? South African analyst Sizo Nkala says China’s policy is “timely” for cushioning external shocks. But the bigger shock could be internal: realizing that the route to Beijing runs through Accra, Nairobi, and Lagos roads still blocked by bureaucracy.
The African Development Bank emphasized that “Africa cannot trade if it cannot move its goods”. For Namibia, China’s zero-tariff initiative offers new opportunities but also exposes underlying structural issues.
As the country’s second-largest trading partner and the main source of foreign direct investment, accounting for nearly 30%, China’s market opening is highly significant.
Namibia currently depends heavily on exporting primary commodities, with uranium making up about a quarter of exports, along with lithium, copper, beef, and oysters. While policies encourage local processing, economic analyst O’Brien Samahiya cautions that “zero tariffs do not automatically imply increased exports without corresponding policy reforms.
The deeper challenge lies closer to home. Namibia faces a trade deficit exceeding N$60 billion and struggles with structural barriers, logistics costs, certification hurdles, and energy constraints that hinder regional trade under the AfCFTA.
While Beijing removes external barriers, Windhoek must address internal ones: customs delays, rules of origin compliance, and value-addition capacity. Zero tariffs with China cannot compensate for the inability to move goods efficiently within Africa.
* Saima Nangombe is a Regional Integration Specialist. Her professional background spans development finance, trade policy, and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Master’s degree in Governance and Regional Integration from the African Union Pan-African University. Driven by a passion and a commitment to Pan-African collaboration, inclusive development, and the use of evidence-based research to advance sustainable economic solutions across the continent.
