Prof Keith Gottschalk Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

South Africa and the rest of the continent risk falling behind unless governments stop signing trade agreements they refuse to implement, warns Prof Keith Gottschalk. He was speaking ahead of the annual lecture named in his honour. The University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Political Studies Department’s annual Keith Gottschalk Lecture on African Integration is a prestigious event designed to foster critical dialogue on the continent’s future. 

The lecture series addresses the urgent need for scholarly and policy engagement as Africa continues to navigate complex historical legacies and contemporary challenges.

It forms a key part of the Keith Gottschalk Award in African Integration, established by the Mauerberger Foundation Fund to honour Prof Gottschalk's profound contributions to South African politics and the discipline of political studies.

Prof Gottschalk was interviewed ahead of the event taking place on September 15, at which distinguished Professor Siphamandla Zondi of the University of Johannesburg will deliver the address. The focus of the address is “The Role of Multilateral Development Banks in Africa’s Integration amid G20”.

Prof Gottschalk said the biggest challenge to Africa’s economic integration is that the governments which signed a string of treaties to, for instance, open the skies across the continent, are loath to implement them.

Professor Keith Gottschalk is turning 80 next year. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

For instance, getting countries to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been an enormous battle, according to Prof Gottschalk.

“What symbolises it is that, a year ago President Cyril Ramaphosa flew to Durban especially to launch the first cargo exported abroad in terms of countries using AfCFTA area; that was through Ghana, Egypt and another country, but on the same day he had the ceremonial export of all these goods, Botswana and Namibia imposed a complete ban, not even a quota on South African vegetables,” said Prof Gottschalk.

These actions, he said, have to be challenged and opposed. Prof Gottschalk said many countries fear opening up their borders to international trade to protect local cartels that are on good terms with some African governments. He said it's up to South Africa, as the continent’s leading economy, and other pro-Pan African governments, to place pressure on them to phase out tariffs and quotas. 

“The USA can put on these tariffs because it's already the biggest economy in the world, but Africa is 55 separate countries, and you need to get them to all form like the European Union -  one economy - and then be very significant in international terms,” said Prof Gottschalk.