Africa trade gap persists despite AfCFTA push to rev up markets

Trade barriers continue to slow intra-African trade despite AfCFTA. [iStockphoto]

Africa’s market of more than 1.4 billion people holds enormous economic potential, yet trade within the continent remains relatively low despite the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Intra-African trade accounts for an estimated 15 to 18 per cent of the total African commerce, significantly below levels recorded in regions such as Europe, where internal trade exceeds 60 per cent.