- Six in 10 citizens (61%) say it is better for South Africa’s economy if the government makes it easier to trade with other countries, while fewer than four in 10 (37%) would prefer to limit international trade to protect South African businesses (Figure 1). o Support for free trade increases with respondents’ level of education, ranging from 46% among those with primary or no formal education to 68% among tertiary degree holders. o It is also more common among men than women (68% vs. 55%), young and middle-aged citizens compared to the elderly (63%-64% vs. 49%), and among the wealthiest respondents (73%, vs. 53%-63% among poorer South Africans).
- If the government were to facilitate greater trade with other countries, a clear majority (57%) of citizens would favour trade with all countries worldwide, rather than limiting it to certain countries (Figure 2). o One-quarter (25%) would privilege the entire African continent, while half as many (13%) would prefer to concentrate on countries in Southern Africa.
- Only 12% of respondents say they have heard of the AfCFTA (Figure 3). ▪ Positive assessments of the economic and political influence of China outweigh negative ones (68% vs. 14%), as it does for the African Union (59% vs. 13%), the Southern African Development Community (57% vs. 16%), the European Union (50% vs. 13%), the United States (46% vs. 33%), India (41% vs. 19%), Russia (40% vs. 26%), and the United Kingdom (37% vs. 25%) (Figure 4).
Six in 10 South Africans believe it is better for the country’s economy if their government makes it easier to trade with other countries, the latest Afrobarometer survey reveals.
But while most citizens favour open trade, an overwhelming majority are not aware of the initiative aimed at creating a single market for goods and services across the African continent: Only 12% of respondents say they have heard of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
If the government were to facilitate greater trade with other countries, most citizens would favour trade with all countries worldwide, rather than limiting it to certain countries, while one-quarter would privilege the entire African continent. About one-tenth would prefer to concentrate on countries in Southern Africa.
South Africans hold largely favourable opinions of the economic and political influence of China, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community. Assessments are more optimistic than pessimistic for the European Union, the United States, India, Russia, and the United Kingdom.