Regional integration makes sense for Africa. Most African nations are developing countries with small domestic markets. Many are landlocked. Growth through economic integration has been on the African agenda for decades but the expected results have not always materialised. Only about 16% of the goods produced in Africa are destined for African markets. Will this picture change under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?

The AfCFTA has been launched with the expectation that it will boost intra-African trade and industrialisation. For this to happen there needs to be better trade governance and large-scale investments in infrastructural development and regional value chains. This Trade Brief discusses the AfCFTA’s economic integration strategy in terms of which these initiatives must unfold.

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