THE European Union and South Africa will sign a long-awaited free trade agreement on October 11 and the bulk of its provisions will be implemented from January 2000, the Financial Times reported on Friday. President Thabo Mbeki and officials from all EU member countries will sign the deal in South Africa, said the report, which quoted chief EU negotiator Philip Lowe. Negotiations over the accord, designed to free up 90% of the $20billion annual trade volume between the EU and South Africa, dragged on for four years before the deal was clinched in March.