India and South Africa are moving to fast-track discussions on a long-delayed trade agreement with a focus on critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing, signalling a broader strategic economic partnership amid BRICS chairmanship.
India and South Africa have moved to revive long-stalled talks on a preferential trade pact, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal saying he discussed terms of reference for an India-SACU agreement and a possible early finish to negotiations with South African trade minister Parks Tau in Jaipur on Thursday.
According to Goyal’s account of the meeting on X, the two sides also looked at deeper cooperation in critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing. That signals a broader commercial agenda than tariffs alone, as both countries seek to strengthen supply chains and widen industrial links.
The Southern African Customs Union, or SACU, groups Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Talks on a trade pact between India and SACU began in 2008 but later stalled over market-access concerns, according to reports in The Hindu BusinessLine and other Indian publications. The renewed push now appears to reflect shared interest in sectors where each side sees strategic value, particularly minerals and medicines.
India is hosting the BRICS 2026 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Jaipur as part of its chairmanship, using the forum to promote trade, innovation, stronger value chains and sustainable industrial growth. Indian officials have recently expressed optimism that the revived SACU talks could improve access for Indian goods across southern Africa, while also opening space for broader South-South economic cooperation.
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