Company engages in charity initiative

Yeoville – The Motsepe Advertising agency recently undertook their first charity initiative since inception in September 2021.

The company delivered food, toiletries and necessities to the Frida Hartley Shelter for destitute women and children in Yeoville.

Co-founder and client service director at Motsepe Advertising, Boitumelo Motsepe said: “We believe that we will become a catalyst in creating employment opportunities for women and youth.”

Motsepe added that Motsepe Advertising is on the journey to become a global, black female-owned agency that is committed to making change in the advertising and marketing industry across the world.

“But this journey starts at home. We create an impact and value in the lives of our South Africans, while at the same time challenging our clients to join us in this quest,” Motsepe said.

The shelter accommodates homeless women and children who have endured neglect, abuse and trauma. The shelter’s founder Cheryl Hlabane said the place also houses individuals who have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.

“That includes homeless mothers looking to improve their lives; and those going through financial difficulties from retrenchment or unemployment,” Hlabane said.

On 1 January 2021 trading began in African countries that had ratified the AfCFTA agreement and submitted their tariff offers. All African countries, except Eritrea, have signed the agreement and 39 ratified it, including most of Africa’s major economies that include South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.

AfCFTA secretary-general Wamkele Mene said negotiations on the rules of origin had been completed and 87.7% of the rules agreed, and member states would now gazette these legal instruments nationally so that the rules could be applied.

“The Protocol on Dispute Settlement has been operationalised and negotiation of rules for appointing members of the dispute-settlement body is in progress. The AfCFTA tariff book, which will include rules of origin and customs procedures, will be published. This book will enable traders to identify and apply correct rules of origin and associated tariffs to each product.”

A sophisticated pan-African legal and regulatory framework that enables digital trade transactions is also vital. Phase two of AfCFTA negotiations have begun, which include competition policy, investment protection and intellectual property rights, as well as deciding on the rules for governing trade on digital platforms.

The intention is to conclude negotiations by the end of 2022. Further, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that facilitates free trading was launched in January 2022, with the African Export-Import Bank providing liquidity for the settlements and technology. The secretariat provided legal framework for the platform.

Since the beginning of 2021 negotiations have been taking place via the African Virtual Trade-Diplomacy Platform.

“The physical constraints of doing deals during global lockdowns made the negotiation and due diligence more difficult, but virtual teleconferencing services have provided ability for parties to continue negotiations.”

Africa’s new virtual trade platform has been speeding up negotiations across regions, housing many cultures, languages and legal frameworks. Its use has also laid the foundations for more efficient cross-border negotiations in many other commercial and governmental trade initiatives.

These developments regarding protocols, rules and procedures on trade, simplified customs procedures as well as dispute resolution mechanisms, are aimed at creating a single legal framework, making it easier to trade and invest across borders. The ultimate aim is to eliminate tariffs on intra-African trade, reduce unemployment, increase infrastructure development and create a more competitive yet sustainable environment for crossborder trade.

The impact of Covid-19 has provided further impetus for African governments to overhaul national regulation relating to tariffs, bilateral trade, cross-border initiatives as well as capital flows, which will allow for the full implementation of AfCFTA.

Domestic policies will also play a crucial role in alleviating trade barriers such as corruption, infrastructure development, onerous regulations, liquidity and security threats. It is expected AfCFTA’s momentum will build gradually, with benefits expected from 2030 onwards.