Mahikeng Summit Opens New Conversation on China Zero-Tariff Opportunities for North West Businesses

MAHIKENG, NORTH WEST – A new conversation about international trade, agricultural exports and local economic development took centre stage in Mahikeng on Saturday 19 September 2026, as Baobab Ubuntu Media hosted the Chinese Embassy and North West Business Chinese Zero-Tariff Market Policy Summit at Ratshidi Hall in Stateng Village.

The summit brought together representatives from the Chinese Embassy, North West Department of Economic Development, African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA), North-West University, traditional leadership, academia, farmers, entrepreneurs and community members to explore how South African producers and businesses can prepare themselves to participate in the Chinese market.

The gathering placed particular emphasis on helping local businesses understand China’s zero-tariff policy, including the requirements that products must meet to access preferential market opportunities.

Understanding the China zero-tariff opportunity

One of the central messages emerging from the Mahikeng summit was that market access is only the beginning.

Businesses seeking to take advantage of international trade opportunities need to understand Rules of Origin, Certificates of Origin, product requirements, quality standards, documentation, logistics and commercial relationships.

For emerging producers and small businesses, understanding these requirements can be an important step towards moving from producing for local markets to preparing for international customers.

The summit also highlighted the importance of ensuring that opportunities linked to international trade translate into tangible economic benefits for farmers, small businesses, young entrepreneurs and emerging producers.

From village economy to global markets

Delivering the Community Leadership Excellence Address, Kgosana Koketso Rakhudu connected the summit to what he described as 11 years of grassroots leadership focused on repurposing the village economy towards self-sufficiency, export readiness and generational wealth.

His message was that communities should not simply wait for international markets to open. Instead, they need to develop the skills, products and ownership structures necessary to participate in global trade.

“We are not just opening doors to China – we are preparing our people to walk through them with products, skills and ownership,” Rakhudu said.

The message places local production at the centre of the international trade discussion, with communities encouraged to see export opportunities as part of broader local economic development.

Agriculture among key areas of opportunity

Agriculture featured prominently during the Mahikeng discussions, with fruit, citrus, apples, macadamia nuts and other agricultural products identified as areas where South African producers can explore opportunities in the Chinese market, subject to applicable market and regulatory requirements.

Speakers also stressed the importance of local value addition.

Rather than simply producing raw commodities, businesses were encouraged to consider activities such as processing and packaging, which can create additional economic opportunities within local communities.

This approach could potentially allow more economic activity associated with agricultural production to remain closer to the communities where products are grown and produced.

Digital trade creates new possibilities for SMEs

The summit also examined the changing nature of international commerce.

Speakers highlighted the growing importance of digital trade and e-commerce, noting that technology is changing traditional trading models and creating new possibilities for small and medium-sized enterprises to connect with customers across borders.

For smaller businesses, this means international trade is increasingly linked not only to physical production and logistics, but also to digital visibility, online business networks and the ability to communicate with international markets.

Building networks for international trade

Agricultural economist Dr Gideon Chitanga encouraged farmers and businesses to collaborate, exchange information and build networks capable of supporting them as they navigate international markets.

The participation of North-West University students also added a youth and education dimension to the summit, while traditional leaders and community representatives helped connect the international trade discussion to local economic realities and aspirations.

The broad participation reflected an important theme of the event: international trade is not solely a government or large-business issue. Farmers, entrepreneurs, students, academics, community leaders and small businesses all have potential roles to play in building export-ready local economies.

Preparing North West for the global marketplace

For Baobab Ubuntu Media, the Mahikeng summit was an opportunity to bring global economic discussions closer to local communities and improve understanding of international trade opportunities.

The organisation stressed that opening access to a market is only the first step. Producers still require knowledge, skills, quality products, documentation, logistics and business relationships to participate successfully in international trade.

The summit therefore called for continued cooperation between government, farmers, businesses, academic institutions, traditional leadership and Chinese partners to ensure that communities are better equipped to make informed use of emerging trade opportunities.

For North West’s agricultural and emerging business sectors, the Mahikeng summit has consequently placed an important question on the table: how can local producers move beyond simply hearing about global opportunities and become properly prepared to participate in them?

The answer, according to the discussions at Ratshidi Hall, begins with knowledge, collaboration, compliant products, local value addition and businesses that are ready to engage with international markets.