Intra-African trade within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains one of the continent’s most underdeveloped economic engines, accounting for a fraction of total trade when compared to other regions. However, some countries are driving the shift towards greater regional integration by exporting more goods to neighboring markets.
The African trading system is entering a decisive phase as the continent adapts to the loss of long-standing preferential access to the US market, with the AfCFTA emerging as a key framework for boosting intra-African trade and reducing dependence on external partners.
For years, export growth was driven by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which offered duty-free entry for clothing, agricultural products, and auto parts into the US. This helped expand industries in several countries, but it also cemented dependence on policies determined outside Africa.
Now, with the US adopting more protectionist tariffs and the benefits of AGOA disappearing, exporters face higher costs and reduced competitiveness.
The ZCLCA presents a path for shifting production and demand inland, but progress begins with understanding the current structure of intra-African trade, which accounted for only about 14% of the continent’s total trade in 2024, compared to about 60% in Asia and Europe. Weak regional value chains continue to limit economic effects and continental industrial growth.
To thrive in a post-AGOA scenario, Africa must consolidate internal trading power and transform regional demand into its main engine of economic expansion.
New data from Tralac (focused on capacity building in trade law and policy) and AGOA.info highlight South Africa’s overwhelming leadership, contributing more than a quarter—about 28% of all intra-African exports. This share is almost equal to the combined contribution of all countries outside the top ten exporters, highlighting its unmatched industrial capacity.
Egypt follows with 7%, while Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo each hold 6%. Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ghana, Morocco, Namibia, and Zambia are smaller but notable contributors.
Together, these high-performing economies are shaping supply chains, driving industrialization, and advancing the ambitions of the AfCFTA. All other African economies combined account for only 32% of intraregional exports. This demonstrates that while some nations have strong production and logistics networks, many others remain heavily dependent on external suppliers, even for basic goods.
The imbalance shown in the intra-African exports table is a clear warning about the fragility of the continent’s current trading system.
Trade and development experts have continually called on African governments to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA in order to unlock stronger intra-African trade and regional growth.
At an AfCFTA workshop in Lusaka, Zambia, officials from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa stressed that progress must translate into real benefits.
“Accelerated implementation is not just about speed, but also depth, inclusiveness, and sustainability,” said Eunice Kamwendo, director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Southern Africa, while Andrew Mold, director of the subregional office for the same institution, noted that “intra-regional exports already account for about 30% in Eastern and Southern Africa, providing a solid foundation on which to build.”
For Africa to withstand global market changes and rising tariffs from major powers, intra-African trade must become the backbone of its economic growth.
Source: Business Insider Africa
