Research · Intra-African trade
From Policy to
Purchase Order.
What does it take for a business opportunity between Nigeria and South Africa to become an actual order?
The starting point
Trade begins with
people doing business.
South Africa and Nigeria have committed to strengthening trade through bilateral agreements, the Bi-National Commission, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). These commitments create a foundation for closer business relationships between the two countries.
For a business owner or buyer, that promise becomes meaningful when they can find a partner they trust, agree on terms, and confidently place or accept an order. What does it take to reach that point? And what causes a promising opportunity to stall?
From Policy to Purchase Order places these business experiences at the centre of the research. Through an online survey of buyers and suppliers across sectors in Nigeria and South Africa, it explores the barriers they encounter and the practical support they need—from finding credible partners and meeting purchasing requirements to making cross-border payments, including direct naira–rand arrangements.
Its purpose is to understand what would give businesses on both sides the confidence and ability to trade with one another.
Policy background: South Africa–Nigeria Bi-National Commission joint communiqué, December 2024 ↗
The central research question
What barriers prevent buyers and suppliers in Nigeria and South Africa from progressing from a business opportunity to a purchase order, and what support would enable them to do so?
Join the conversation
Your business experience matters.
Share your experience of buying from or supplying businesses between Nigeria and South Africa.
Participate in our research ↗