If the new Brexit deadline of October 31st has brought us anything, it's even more uncertainty. And this changing economic climate is forcing many countries who trade with the EU to hedge their bets effectively. CGTN's Angelo Coppola takes a look at how the drawn-out process is affecting South Africa's economy.

For the Southern African Customs Union, which includes South Africa and Mozambique who are negotiating with the United Kingdom, it's now a wait and see approach. There's one scenario that concerns the South African customs union. And that's a withdrawal that leads to Britain being left outside the EU customs union, immediately or in the medium term.

ROB DAVIES TRADE & INDUSTRY MINISTER, SOUTH AFRICA "And in that event, the British have published a tariff schedule, and that tariff schedule says that for South Africa, all of the fruit-based exports including wine and all of the fresh and processed fruit would enter duty-free. There would be duties on motor vehicle products and that's the big concern for South Africa. There would be duties on meat products and that would be a big concern for our neighbors, and there would be duties on sugar which will also be a concern for us and for our neighbors."

Davies says the fruit-based exports and any possible action in that sector has more to do with Southern European producers wanting to protect their market share and using citrus black spot regulations to keep the South Africans out.

ROB DAVIES TRADE & INDUSTRY MINISTER, SOUTH AFRICA "We would anticipate that a country like Britain on its own, would be, maybe, more accommodating and amenable on regulations like this and be in line with, for example, the United States, which doesn't have the same regulations on citrus black spot."

A major concern is the impact of a BREXIT on the South African and European auto sector. It's to do with the rules of origin on components and the highly integrated auto plants in the EU, Britain and to a lesser extent, South Africa.

ROB DAVIES TRADE & INDUSTRY MINISTER, SOUTH AFRICA "Under the rules of origin that we have in our bilateral arrangement for the duty-free access we have into Europe, which is nearly a quarter of our trade with the European Union, we would have components from both Britain and the EU27 and South Africa, recognized in the rules of origin. And so the question would arise if Britain were to leave and there was no agreement, what would happen to the recognition of inputs. And that's the issue that's outstanding with us. It's called cumulation."

ANGELO COPPOLA JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA "SOUTH African industry leaders are waiting on tenterhooks to see what happens with BREXIT, and only then will they be able to make any firm decisions. I'm Angelo Coppola for CGTN in JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA."