Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane is a powerful leader working to bring African countries closer together. As Deputy Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration, she helps create rules that make it easier for people and goods to move across borders. Her work supports big projects like the African Continental Free Trade Area, aiming to boost jobs, trade, and unity across the continent. With clear focus and strong action, Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane is helping turn big ideas about African togetherness into real benefits for everyday people.
Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane is the Deputy Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters. She leads efforts to promote African unity by driving policies that enhance trade, immigration, and regional cooperation, supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for economic growth and integration.
July 2025 marked an important milestone for African unity as the Pan-African Parliament convened in the thriving city of Midrand. This locale, recognized for its economic vigor and its role as a crossroads for continental discourse, served as the backdrop for transformative discussions on Africa’s future. Within this dynamic setting, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, Chairperson of South Africa’s National Council of Provinces, stepped into a significant leadership role as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters. Her appointment signaled both a personal triumph and a forward step in the ongoing pursuit of African cohesion.
The Pan-African Parliament meetings have often been likened to the legendary assemblies of 19th-century Europe, where the fate of nations hung in the balance amid spirited debate. Yet in Midrand, the focus shifted from division to unity. Delegates arrived with a shared vision: to stitch together the patchwork of African nations into a seamless whole, overcoming historical boundaries. The committee that Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane now helps to guide sits at the epicenter of this effort, addressing issues that reach deep into the daily lives of millions across the continent.
Trade, customs, and immigration remain the cornerstones of Africa’s integration agenda. The committee does more than consult; it crafts the regulations and frameworks that enable the free movement of people, goods, and services. Looking back, one can see echoes of ancient African trading kingdoms, where prosperity flowed along open routes and diverse cultures intermingled. Now, the committee’s mission is to revive and modernize these connections for a new era, ensuring that the benefits of integration extend to every corner of the continent.
Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane’s tenure as Deputy Chairperson begins at a pivotal moment, coinciding with the African Union’s 2025 theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.” This theme underscores a broader aspiration to heal the wounds of the past by creating a more equitable and connected future. Her selection by the Southern Regional Caucus reflects widespread confidence in her dedication to Africa’s shared objectives and her history of championing cross-border cooperation.
She approaches her responsibilities with clarity and resolve. Recognizing the need for practical outcomes, she insists that the committee’s work must go beyond discussion. “We should act as a driving force for consistent policies, legislative partnerships, and robust parliamentary oversight,” she affirms. For Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane, genuine progress comes not from lofty speeches but from ensuring that plans translate into action. She embraces oversight as a central element, believing that parliaments must hold leaders accountable to ensure that new agreements actually improve people’s lives.
Her perspective invokes the democratic spirit of ancient assemblies, where public debate and scrutiny formed the backbone of good governance. In her vision, parliamentarians act as both guardians of transparency and defenders of ordinary citizens’ interests. Only through steadfast oversight, she argues, can Africa’s ambitious strategies make a tangible difference in everyday life—turning abstract trade deals into jobs, accessible markets, and new opportunities.
The committee’s work takes on even greater significance amid the ongoing implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This agreement represents the most ambitious economic project in Africa’s recent history, aiming to create a unified market of over a billion people. For small business owners in Accra, farmers in Lusaka, and innovators in Johannesburg alike, the harmonization of customs and trade rules could bring major changes.
Drawing inspiration from milestones like the postwar European Economic Community, Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane and her colleagues recognize the transformative potential of open borders and streamlined regulations. European integration offered a roadmap for how cooperation can drive prosperity and peace. Africa’s goal is equally bold: to boost economic growth, reduce inequality, and foster a shared sense of identity among its people. The committee must overcome a legacy of fragmented regulations and colonial-era divisions, ensuring that new trade arrangements actually reach those who need them most.
Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane advocates for legislation that centers on the needs of everyday Africans—migrants seeking opportunity, traders hoping for fairer markets, and families who cross borders for work or safety. This focus on practical, people-first policy echoes the beliefs of influential African thinkers who insist that real freedom and advancement must benefit everyone, not just elites. Her leadership style blends vision with a commitment to real-world outcomes, encouraging colleagues to measure success by the positive changes felt on the ground.
Her new responsibilities arrive at a time when South Africa itself stands in the global parliamentary spotlight. Later in 2025, the country will host the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), bringing legislative leaders from the world’s largest economies together in the same spirit of dialogue and oversight. Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane’s continental role presents a unique opportunity to amplify Africa’s voice in these high-level debates, ensuring that African priorities inform the global agenda.
South Africa’s democratic parliament, inaugurated in 1994, has long championed openness, accountability, and social transformation. As the host of the P20 summit, its members will shape international commitments in ways that reflect national priorities like inclusive growth and social justice. Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane’s dual role, both at home and across Africa, stands as a testament to the bridging of local issues with continental and global strategies.
The Pan-African Parliament, founded just two decades ago, continues to evolve as a platform for African self-determination. With nearly 50 member states committed to its vision, it draws inspiration from the pan-African ideals of unity and collective progress. Delegates recall how spirited debates—sometimes extending through the night—reflect the sense of urgency and responsibility that defines the institution. The stakes are high: decisions on trade and migration hold the promise of transforming lives, fostering stability, and rekindling the sense of shared destiny that has driven African leaders for generations.
Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane’s approach draws from a rich blend of cultural heritage, institutional strength, and pragmatic action. She views Africa as a living tapestry, strongest where its many threads interweave. Her leadership in this pivotal period demonstrates how committed individuals can advance integration, bridge divides, and shape the future for millions. As the Pan-African Parliament pursues its bold agenda, her work stands at the intersection of legacy and possibility—a new chapter in the ongoing story of African unity.
Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane is the Deputy Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration Matters. In this role, she leads efforts to promote African integration by developing policies and regulations that facilitate trade, customs cooperation, and the free movement of people across African borders. Her work supports major continental initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), boosting economic growth, job creation, and unity across Africa.
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is a key institution of the African Union tasked with promoting integration and collective decision-making among nearly 50 member states. Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane’s leadership role as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration is crucial for crafting laws that harmonize trade and migration policies continent-wide. Her position symbolizes a commitment to actionable outcomes, transparency, and parliamentary oversight to turn African unity ideals into concrete benefits for citizens.
Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane plays a pivotal role in shaping the legal frameworks that enable AfCFTA’s goal of creating a single, integrated market of over a billion Africans. Her committee works on harmonizing customs procedures, trade regulations, and immigration policies to reduce barriers for businesses and individuals. By advocating for people-centered legislation, she helps ensure that AfCFTA’s promise translates into new jobs, easier cross-border commerce, and equitable economic opportunities for all African communities.
African integration faces obstacles such as fragmented national regulations, colonial-era border legacies, and uneven economic development. Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane and her committee confront these challenges by promoting consistent policies, legislative partnerships, and rigorous parliamentary oversight. Their focus is on overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring that trade and immigration reforms are effectively implemented, benefiting ordinary people rather than just political elites.
Her leadership coincides with the African Union’s 2025 theme focusing on justice and reparations, emphasizing a more equitable continent. Additionally, South Africa’s hosting of the 2025 G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) offers Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane a platform to bring African priorities to global discussions. By bridging local, continental, and international levels, she amplifies Africa’s voice in shaping policies on inclusive growth, social justice, and economic cooperation worldwide.
Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane believes that effective parliamentary oversight is essential to ensure that trade and immigration agreements move beyond rhetoric to produce real-life improvements. Drawing inspiration from democratic traditions, she insists that parliaments must hold governments accountable for implementing policies that create jobs, improve markets, and protect citizens’ rights. This transparent and participatory approach helps build trust, supports sustainable development, and strengthens the unity Africa seeks to achieve.
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