Browsing: AfCTA

Afreximbank AfCFTA

Afreximbank readies bespoke training as push to tap into $450Bn AfCFTA bloc gathers pace

Industry and Trade
  • Afreximbank is set to equip traders with vital tools to navigate both tariff and non-tariff barriers in AfCFTA.
  • In a June 30 to July 2, 2025, forum in Abuja, the lender will coach both prospective and existing exporters on emerging intra-Africa trade issues.
  • So far, limited understanding of AFCFTA’s technical and operational aspects has barred many firms from leveraging the bloc’s benefits.

Lender Afreximbank is rolling out a bespoke training, targeting traders across Africa with key insights on how to leverage on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest trading bloc by member countries, to grow their investments.

Statistics show that ntra-African trade has the potential to increase by over 52 per cent this year if the AfCFTA is fully implemented, and could reach a value of over $70 billion annually in the short term.

Furthermore, studies by the United Nations Economic Commission …

African MSMEs

AU chief tips African SMEs to embrace innovation to foster growth at scale

Africa
  • Small scale firms in Africa urged to embrace technology, research, and development to power their growth at scale.
  • African MSMEs have been challenged to tap opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.
  • Agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, minerals, and creative industries highlighted as sectors that have huge potential for MSMEs’ growth.

The African Union (AU) has called upon startups and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa to harness the power of innovation for their growth and sustainability. This appeal has been made by Albert Muchanga, the AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals during the third African Union Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum, which is taking place between September 9 to 13 in Windhoek, Namibia, and virtually.

This forum, which is arguably one of Africa’s largest gathering of MSMEs, focuses on the theme: “Fostering Financial Empowerment and Educational Innovation for African …

Africa's food and agriculture market

Africa’s quest to unlock trillion-dollar food economy potential

Industry and Trade
  • Africa’s food and agriculture market could reach $1 trillion in 2030 from $280 billion in 2023, with over $60 billion spent on food imports yearly.
  • Access to credit poses a significant barrier to private sector investment in Africa’s agriculture sector
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights that around 30 to 40 per cent of food produced in Africa is lost before it reaches consumers.

Africa is a sleeping giant, at least from the agricultural sector. The region’s food and agriculture market could reach $1 trillion from $280 billion in 2023, with over $60 billion spent on food imports yearly.

The numbers in the latter are self-explanatory agriculture in Africa is not only a staple economic activity for most of the population but the region at large.

However, the sector is faced with both promising leads of growth but, at the same time, hurdles, including lack of proper funding leading to …

Supply chains in Africa AHIF Africa Hospitality Investment Forum

What is the economic potential of Africa’s supply chains?

Industry and Trade

Despite enormous opportunities, Africa’s supply chains remain inadequate in supporting regional economies. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of existing African supply chains, sending shock waves across markets. With proper optimization, Africa’s supply chains hold transformative economic potential for the continent.…

The AfCFTA sends a strong signal to the international investor community that Africa is open for business, based on a single rule-book for trade and investment - Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat H.E. Wamkele Mene Photo/UNCTAD

Realizing AfCFTA’s potential for Africa

Industry and Trade

 

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could deliver far greater benefits in terms of jobs, growth, and poverty reduction than previously estimated – making it a potential game changer for Africa’s economic development if its ambitious goals are fully realized, a World Bank 2022 report indicates.

Two key points stand out in that World Bank statement, first ‘AfCFTA could deliver greater benefits…than previously estimated,’ and second, ‘if it’s ambitious goals are fully realized.’

The first point begs the question how could a continent-wide trade pact be undervalued,’ and the second is the possibility that the one trade zone might not take off as planned.

Also Read: East African SMES ready to tap into the wider African market

Let us look at the AfCFTA goals and determine whether they are indeed ambitious or just realistic and if so, let us review the hurdles that may derail AfCFTA from achieving

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Open borders, open borders in EAC, East African Community

Why open borders could be Africa’s new economic boost

Regional Markets

Africa is huge continent with untapped potential. With the rest of the world opening up for the best international trade and travel relations, Africa is learning and following the same path, with countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda easing entry restrictions by issuing visa on arrival and hence turning themselves towards open borders opportunities as members of the East African Community (EAC). 

Unrestricted movement of people and goods between African countries holds the key to unlocking this trade potential. That is why trade analysts are touting the African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCTA) as a game changer in inter-Africa trade.  

According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Intra-African trade is currently low at 14.4 percent of total African exports. UNCTAD estimates that the AfCFTA could boost intra-African trade by about 33 percent and cut the continent’s trade deficit by 51 percent.

The possibility of more open

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Kenya's distressed debt levels

East Africa: The hub for African trade

Industry and Trade
Economies of East Africa (www.theexchange.africa)
The Kenyan
–
Uganda border of Malaba. It is one of the businesses in the East Africa
region
For years, the East African Community (EAC) struggled with divisions among member states mainly on key trade agreements slowing down the region from achieving a full working common market.
Countries have been playing protectionism targeted mainly at protecting local industries, with fallouts witnessed among states.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have had their fair share of the trade wars with both tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting regional integration.
Poor infrastructure in some parts of the region has also been affecting easy movement of trade volumes while businesses have suffered lack of enough capital to do trade.
However, recent developments have set the region for growth both on intra-EAC trade, continental trade and of course international trade.
Over the course of 2022, there has been progress on the East African Community’s Common External Tariffs
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East African Oil Pipeline

Central Africa’s bright future: how the economy will fair over 2023

Industry and Trade
One of the few spoken regional trade blocs of Africa is the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
Despite such little being spoken of this resource rich area, it is home to some of Africa's richest countries, yet it has for decades encountered various obstacles that have stunted social and economic progress. Human capital development is a major issue in the region, along with armed conflicts, natural disasters, and health crises.
As a result, the region's economy have not been able to flourish despite their abundance of natural resources.

Oil in Central Africa

Roughly 30% of Africa's crude oil is located in the ECCAS region.
Angola, located there, just surpassed Nigeria as Africa's largest oil producer, pumping out about1.16 million barrels per day.
Chad, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Cameroon are some of the other oil-producing countries in the area. Yet the resource has not contributed as much
…
DP World Luanda offers customers the use of a new digital tool for monitoring and managing the cargo sent to the Multiusos Terminal. Named Cargoes Flow, it was developed by the technological team of the DP World Group and allows you to monitor the shipment and arrival of orders in real time. At the same time, it allows customers to manage delays and the expectations of suppliers to whom the cargo is intended and, consequently, minimize the resulting financial losses. www.theexchange.africa

How Shipping is Shaping international trade in 2023

Industry and Trade
Nearly 90 per cent of the world’s trade is carried by the global shipping industry.
Without shipping, global cargo trade via imports and exports would essentially cripple nations and international markets.
The sector was heavily hit by the Covid-pandemic disrupting global supply chains yielding a sharp increase in freight costs.
This came with the partial closure of key ports in China, one of Africa’s leading market sources.
Despite this, data shows China-Africa trade reached $185.2 billion between January and September 2021, up 38.2 percent year-on-year.
As shipping lines suspended operations, many factories followed suit essentially shutting down much of the global international trade.
Following the 2020 global shipment shutdown, another shipping crisis forced goods to be locked down for weeks.
The blockage of the Suez Canal by giant cargo vessel, the 400 meter-long-Ever Given operated by global shipping firm Evergreen, became wedged across the Suez after being blown off course
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African leaders when they met to deliberate on the AfCFTA ooerationalistaion in 2018. www.theexchange.africa

US sets eyes on Africa’s largest trade block with new partnership

Business
  • The agreement reaffirms the US commitment to elevating a strong private sector voice in AfCFTA implementation.
  • Through exploring these challenges and opportunities in-depth, the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit seeks to chart new avenues for improved U.S.-Africa cooperation.
  • The business forum focuses on growing the commercial partnership between the U.S. and Africa, with priority discussion topics including the U.S.-Africa commitment to trade and investment.

The United States Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a working group to help advance trade and investment between the U.S. and Africa. 

The agreement reaffirms the US commitment to elevating a strong private sector voice in AfCFTA implementation. 

Scott Eisner, President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center, said coordination between the private sector and the AfCFTA is key to unlocking Africa’s full economic potential.

“As the world’s leading …