The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) consists of South Africa , Botswana , Namibia , Lesotho and Swaziland . The SACU has played an increasingly important role in the integration of African economy in recent years. The economies of China and member states of the SACU are highly complementary, and there is great potential for bilateral trade and investment. On June 28, 2004 , Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong visited South Africa where the two sides announced the launch of China-SACU free trade negotiations, and South Africa recognized China as a market economy. At present, the two parties are pushing the negotiations towards a substantial stage.