The Trans-African Highway Network is closer to completion than ever - but formidable obstacles remain between ambition and asphalt.
The continent's integration into global trade networks has exposed deep structural vulnerabilities - but the path to resilience runs through strategy, not just infrastructure.
By Mark-Anthony Johnson Africa stands at an inflection point. For decades, the continent’s economies have been locked into a colonial-era pattern – exporting raw commodities to...
The borders drawn at the 1884 Berlin Conference were never designed for African development - and their structural legacy endures.
The continent does not only lose wealth at the port. It loses power along the value chain.
At least 345 African companies now generate over $1 billion in annual revenue. Together, they represent a commercial force the world can no longer afford to...
The real barriers to African commerce have never been tariffs. They are the invisible frictions that strangle trade before goods ever reach a buyer. That may...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson Every passport tells a story of belonging. In the world of trade, goods have their own version – a set of technical criteria...
When powerful nations wage trade wars, the cost is always borne by those who had no voice in starting them.
Three military-led governments have pooled a billion dollars to build an airline, a bank, and a railroad. Whether this is visionary statecraft or a costly mirage...
A bold move by President Mahama on Africa Day signals that Pan-African free movement may finally be crossing from aspiration into policy.
By Franco Bonghan Mozambique’s early repayment of its US$701 million IMF debt is a symbolic earthquake in a continent long portrayed as permanently indebted. As of...
By Ziad Hamoui Last month, from Ghanaian President Mahama’s appearance at the World Governments Summit in Dubai to his state visit to Zambia, the political will...
The Iran conflict is a distant war with a continent-wide lesson: resource wealth means nothing without the systems to defend it.
In Tunisian ports, cranes move to a rhythm set in Brussels. Ships laden with olive oil and textiles depart northward, while the young workers on the...
The continent's trade volumes are climbing. Its production structures are not. That distinction will define Africa's economic future.
When a global food giant quietly reformulates its products to strip out the world's most iconic ingredient, it isn't just a story about confectionery - it's...
The continent's visa regime is not a footnote to its economic ambitions - it is a direct contradiction of them.
From Casablanca to Kigali, a continent-wide network of industrial zones is quietly becoming one of the most consequential developments in 21st-century trade.
By Danilo Desiderio Africa’s trade lifelines run through a handful of critical maritime chokepoints. That geographic reality is both a testament to the continent’s integration into...
By Charles F.V. Chitekwe In a move that deserves far more global attention than it has received, Rwanda has eliminated visa fees for citizens of all...
By Lailla Mutajogera Global attention is currently fixed on the escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. For many observers, particularly in the West, this...
From Ivory Coast's cocoa fields to South Africa's citrus groves, ten nations are reshaping global food supply chains - and signaling that Africa's agricultural moment has...
A new payment partnership between PAPSS and Kenya’s PesaLink is doing what roads and railways alone never could: making intra-African trade genuinely frictionless.
By Mark-Anthony Johnson The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was supposed to revolutionize African commerce. Five years after trading officially commenced, the world’s largest free...
By Danilo Desiderio African governments can mobilize overnight to serve a foreign trade partner. Yet they stall for years when asked to integrate with each other....
By Danilo Desiderio The continent’s ambitious trade agreements look impressive on paper. Yet beneath the institutional architecture lies a troubling reality: economic unity remains more aspiration...
By Michele Moscaritoli The most consequential shift in African commerce isn’t happening across oceans. It’s happening across borders. For decades, the narrative around African trade focused...
By Ziad Hamoui Three months of uncertainty revealed what reliance on non-reciprocal arrangements truly costs the continent. The US House of Representatives approved the African Growth...
By Ziad Hamoui The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) recently closed a US$1.75 billion receivables purchase facility for Angola’s Sonangol HR, serving as mandated lead arranger and...
By Lance Chisue The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents one of the most ambitious economic integration projects of the 21st century. Uniting 1.3 billion...
By Ziad Hamoui Ghana’s president is right to call current trade arrangements neo-colonial. But diagnosis without execution changes nothing. Ghana produces the cocoa. Switzerland pockets US$130...
By Kelly Mua Kingsly China’s strategic expansion across Africa’s coastline represents more than infrastructure development. It signals a fundamental recalibration of global economic power, one that...
By Danilo Desiderio At the World Economic Forum in Davos, a provocative thesis emerged from the corridors of global finance: Africa’s 1.3 billion people represent potential,...
By Lance Chisue Only a few weeks into 2026, and the signals are already unmistakable. Tariffs, geopolitical fragmentation, and friendshoring are forcing companies to fundamentally rethink...
By Ziad Hamoui When a Nigerian general recently floated the idea of fencing the country’s borders to combat terrorism, the response was swift and unforgiving. Colleagues...
By Des H Rikhotso While global attention fixates on Tesla’s latest quarterly earnings and Toyota’s hydrogen ambitions, a quieter but potentially more consequential automotive story is...
By Lance Chisue A striking pattern is emerging across Africa’s economic landscape. After decades of fragmented markets and externally oriented trade, the continent is finally turning...
By Ziad Hamoui When the first shipment of Nigerian-manufactured solar panels arrived in Accra last month, it marked more than a commercial transaction. It represented a...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson Ethiopia’s ambitious US$12.5 billion airport project at Bishoftu represents far more than an infrastructure upgrade – it signals a fundamental shift in Africa’s...
By Gregory Simpkins Throughout 2025, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was considered dead. Legislation extending the trade process failed to get passed in late...
By Danilo Desiderio The continent’s ambitious free trade agreement promises to reshape economic integration – but a tangled web of customs unions and political fractures threatens...
By Ziad Hamoui When more than 60 percent of cross-border trade deliberately avoids official channels, something has gone profoundly wrong with our customs systems. Ghana’s first-ever...
By Dishant Shah A global consumer goods giant recently withdrew from Nigeria after years of mounting losses. The business press quickly labeled it “another failure in...
By Michele Moscaritoli Intra-African commerce has quietly transformed from aspiration to reality – and the implications are profound. For decades, the refrain echoed through development conferences...
By Ziad Hamoui Every year, somewhere between US$10 billion and US$24 billion worth of goods crosses African borders in what the United Nations Economic Commission for...
By Lailla Mutajogera As returns compress across mature Asian markets, East Africa offers investors a compelling alternative: markets where fundamentals are improving faster than asset prices....
By Jastine Martine The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) promises to unite 1.4 billion people across 54 countries into a US$3.4 trillion market. On paper,...
By Danilo Desiderio Five years into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the gap between promise and delivery threatens to undermine the continent’s boldest economic...
By Kelly Mua Kingsly Africa proclaims the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the world’s largest free-trade zone, spanning 1.4 billion people across 54 countries...
By Dishant Shah Every few years, Africa receives a new catchphrase. “Africa Rising.” “The Next China.” “The World’s Future Growth Engine.” These slogans circulate through investment...
By Jastine Martine The true measure of a continent’s economic potential lies not in what it has built, but in what it enables. Africa stands at...
By Dr. Princess C. Mutisya “Africa has 33 currencies, yet none is accepted anywhere on the continent. I fly from Nairobi to Addis Ababa, show my...
By Des H Rikhotso A state-designed electric bus does not typically make international headlines. Yet, the recent arrival of Uganda’s Kayoola Electric Coach in Cape Town,...
By Dishant Shah The world is fracturing along fault lines that would have seemed improbable a decade ago. US-China rivalry has escalated from trade tensions to...
By Dishant Shah Here is an uncomfortable truth that rarely makes headlines: Africa hemorrhages billions of dollars annually simply moving money within its own borders. Not...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson Despite home to nearly 18 percent of the world’s population and some of its fastest-growing economies, Africa is projected to contribute less than...
By Dishant Shah Africa’s greatest obstacle was never its colonial-era borders. It was the enduring belief in their permanence – the idea that African economies must...
By Godfred Zina Every year, Africa hemorrhages approximately US$5 billion – not to corruption or illicit financial flows, but to a quieter, systemic flaw: the continent’s...
By Davida Ademuyiwa Africa stands at a historic inflection point. Across the continent, economies are growing, cities are expanding, and a youthful, tech-savvy population is demanding...
By Danilo Desiderio Four years after its historic launch, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains a promise more than a practice. Conceived as the...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson Africa stands at a historic inflection point. By 2026, the continent’s economy is projected to reach US$3.32 trillion – a figure that commands...
By Danilo Desiderio For decades, a persistent narrative has shadowed Africa’s economic trajectory: the continent exports what it doesn’t consume and imports what it needs. A...
By Danilo Desiderio Africa’s biggest trade vision, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), is gathering momentum – but not because policymakers willed it so. It...
By Dishant Shah There’s a quiet power in symbolism – especially when it arrives not with fanfare, but in the form of a refrigerated truck loaded...
By Godfred Zina For decades, Africa has been the world’s largest recipient of foreign aid. Yet despite pouring over US$50 billion annually into the continent, the...
By Des H Rikhotso After seven years of strategic preparation, Ethiopia is officially set to begin trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) marking...
By Sheena Raikundalia Every year, Africa hemorrhages an estimated US$5 billion – not to corruption, not to mismanagement, but simply to the cost of moving money...
By Danilo Desiderio Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its quest for continental unity. The African Union’s newly released Africa Integration Report 2025, published alongside...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson Since its launch in May 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has provided sub-Saharan African countries with preferential access to the...
By Danilo Desiderio As global trade grows increasingly fragmented, Africa stands at a crossroads. According to UNCTAD, average tariffs imposed by major economies – including the...
By Danilo Desiderio A provocative question recently posed by a Semafor Africa article – “Does Africa really exist?” – offers a striking entry point into the...
By Danilo Desiderio The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has become the most celebrated economic initiative on the continent. Leaders, policymakers, economists, and business associations...
By Ziad Hamoui Last month, in a quiet but consequential gathering in Abuja, Nigeria, ministers from Nigeria, Benin, and Cameroon didn’t just sign another memorandum of...
By Ziad Hamoui In Accra last week, the ECOWAS Commission launched the US$10 million West Africa Livestock Marketing Support Programme (PACBAO-2) – a bold, long-term initiative...
By Danilo Desiderio When the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) officially launched in 2019, it was hailed as the most ambitious economic project on the...
By Danilo Desiderio The world’s trade winds are shifting – literally and figuratively. With rising geopolitical tensions, tariff wars, and supply chain reconfigurations between major Northern...
By Danilo Desiderio In a continent where roads often end in red tape and distances stretch beyond infrastructure, the skies may hold the key to Africa’s...
By Dishant Shah As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) moves from vision to reality, a pivotal question echoes across boardrooms, policy think tanks, and...
By Danilo Desiderio “To draw legs on a snake” – a Chinese proverb warning against unnecessary embellishment – is more than a cautionary tale about overdesign....
By Danilo Desiderio In the decades since the 1994 genocide, Rwanda has emerged as one of Africa’s most compelling development success stories. From the ashes of...
By Danilo Desiderio Trade finance is often described as the “silent engine” of Africa’s economic growth, yet its full potential remains largely untapped. Strengthening access to...
By Dishant Shah Africa feeds the world – and yet, it struggles to feed itself efficiently. Consider this: the average journey of food across the African...
By Davida Ademuyiwa When the future of Africa is discussed in global boardrooms, policy forums, or development summits, the narrative often turns to external partnerships: Europe’s...
By Ziad Hamoui In the first quarter of 2025, a quiet but transformative shift reshaped Africa’s economic landscape: trade between the East African Community (EAC) and...
By Ziad Hamoui As the September 30, 2025, expiration date of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) approaches, Africa stands at a pivotal economic crossroads...
By Gregory Simpkins US President Donald Trump appears to be more determined than ever to pursue his international tariff policies, even through the several reversals of...
By Danilo Desiderio The 11th edition of the Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA XI) report – jointly published by the United Nations Economic Commission for...
Africa has taken a landmark step toward financial sovereignty with the launch of PAPSSCARD, the continent’s first homegrown pan-African card scheme. Unveiled on June 27 at...
By Danilo Desiderio Recent reports of a US$228.19 million drop in Ugandan exports to the East African Community (EAC) over the past year have painted a...
By Mary Alorh As the African Development Bank (AfDB) charts a bold course for the continent under its Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033), one theme stands out: integration....
By Danilo Desiderio The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has released its highly anticipated 2025 African Trade Report, titled “African Trade in a Changing Global Financial Architecture.”...
By Des H Rikhotso Africa’s 16 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) have long grappled with a paradox – rich in natural resources and youthful energy, yet economically...
By Farhia Noor Every time the U.S. economy sneezes, African currencies catch a cold. Ghana. Nigeria. Kenya. South Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo. Across the...
By Michael Sudarkasa Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at the Cross Border Trade Strategic Conversations Summit, hosted at the Regenesys Education Campus in Sandton,...
By Dishant Shah What you are looking at is more than just a map – it is Africa’s future in motion. This is the proposed Pan-African...
By Godfred Zina In a bold step toward Pan-African unity, Ghana has emerged as a regional leader in championing the vision of a borderless Africa. In...
By Danilo Desiderio A seismic shift has rocked the African financial landscape. On June 4, global ratings agency Fitch delivered a sharp blow to the continent’s...
By Danilo Desiderio Two months ago, we highlighted the growing security challenges confronting businesses in Ethiopia, particularly those operating along trade routes plagued by internal conflict....
By Dishant Shah It is a simple question – but one that cuts to the heart of Africa’s economic future. Right now, most African countries trade...
By Danilo Desiderio Despite a significant increase in food production over the past two decades, hunger and food insecurity across Africa have paradoxically risen. A recent...
By Danilo Desiderio Alarming levels of banned pesticide residues – some linked to developmental and reproductive harm – have been found in potatoes grown in Nyandarua...
By Danilo Desiderio The Group of Twenty (G20) stands as one of the world’s most influential multilateral forums, comprising 19 leading economies – Argentina, Australia, Brazil,...
By Dishant Shah For decades, trade within Africa has been brimming with potential. Yet turning that promise into reality has often hit roadblocks: inconsistent customs regulations,...
By Danilo Desiderio A recent trade dispute between Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa has thrust the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into the spotlight, underscoring...
By Dishant Shah Africa stands out as the continent with the highest number of regional trade blocs – more than any other part of the world....
By Dishant Shah It’s a straightforward question, but it invites profound reflection. Currently, most African countries trade more with nations outside the continent than with their...
By Danilo Desiderio While tariffs have gained renewed attention under recent administrations, they are far from the only tools countries use to restrict imports. Beyond tariffs,...
By Dishant Shah For decades, Africa has stood as a central recipient of Western aid, with over US$1 trillion in foreign assistance flowing into the continent...
By Danilo Desiderio Despite significant strides in infrastructure development, energy efficiency, and resource utilization, Africa’s industrialization remains insufficient to meet the continent’s growing needs, according to...
By Danilo Desiderio A recent publication from AfCFTA Dialogues, a platform dedicated to raising awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of the African Continental Free Trade...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the flagship initiative of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a strategic blueprint for fostering inclusive...
By Danilo Desiderio A recent article published by Semafor raises concerns about the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade agreement that...
Ghana has taken a bold step toward pan-African unity by implementing a visa-free policy for all African passport holders, effective January 1, 2025. This landmark decision...
By Mary Alorh The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a landmark initiative poised to transform Africa’s economic landscape. Here’s what you need to know...
Kenyan President William Ruto’s push to reduce reliance on the US dollar in African trade has gained traction with the launch of the Pan-African Payments Settlement...
By Chike Ayodele Igwegbe The recent tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Rwanda, and South Africa serve as a stark reminder of Africa’s...
By Peter Riad Africa is on the verge of a groundbreaking transformation, with the African Transcontinental Highway (ATH) set to revolutionize connectivity across the continent. Imagine...
By Danilo Desiderio Preparations are underway for the 2025 edition of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD), which will take place in Accra, Ghana, from Thursday, January...
By Ajay Wasserman Recent policy shifts under Donald Trump’s administration have unveiled a hard truth: Africa remains vulnerable to external political changes. From the reinstatement of...
Late last week, Uganda launched a significant US$3 billion Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project that will connect the country to the Kenyan border, with the potential...
Kenyan Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have commenced their inaugural export shipments of various products to the the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), South...
By Danilo Desiderio The Greek philosopher Socrates once stated, “there is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t know where to go.” Yet, this notion...
By Danilo Desiderio A recent report by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Institute analyzed the early trade experiences under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), emphasizing the importance...
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is set to begin importing milk and coffee from Uganda, marking a significant step forward for intra-African trade. This development follows...
By Emmanuel Musaazi Before China’s economic involvement in Africa, the continent’s development trends were influenced by various factors but primarily colonial legacies where African economies were...
By Danilo Desiderio A Chinese proverb states, “To get rich, build roads first.” While China has embraced this philosophy, Africa has chosen a different path, focusing...
By Danilo Desiderio The establishment of a unified African market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is facing greater challenges and delays than initially...
By Mark-Anthony Johnson The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a central initiative within the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which is a strategic framework aimed...
On Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, met with President Joseph Boakai of Liberia. During his visit, the Secretary-General...
By Yemi Osinbajo Of the many stereotypes that we have to deal with in our quest to tell the full story of Africa, none are as...
By Adam Amoussou Africa has the potential to become the world’s powerhouse in the coming years. The continent is undergoing unprecedented changes, with the implementation of...
The East African Community (EAC) is witnessing a notable transformation in its trading patterns, marked by a growing emphasis on intra-African trade and a corresponding decline...
By Rosemary Mnongya The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents considerable opportunities for the evolution and monetization of Africa’s trading sectors. Upon full implementation and...
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) represents a significant milestone in the journey towards harnessing Africa’s economic potential. By creating a single continental market, AfCFTA...
Press Release | The Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is proud to announce the entry of Banque Centrale de Tunisie (BCT) into its network...
By Christopher Adam Why are African countries exposed in the international currency market? Three main reasons. First, African economies are small and as such are highly...
By Lauren Johnston In a year when headlines have been dominated by conflict in Europe and the Middle East, and geo-economic tensions between China and the...
PR Newswire | Standard Chartered has today published its Future of Trade: Africa report, highlighting the outlook for African trade and providing a view of the...
By Paul Frimpong Over the last decades, China has been at the forefront of championing multiple global initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global...
African economies can become major participants in global supply chains by harnessing their vast resources of materials needed by high-technology sectors and their own growing consumer...
By Caroline Kimeu When Ugandans Maureen Agena and Edward Echwalu arrived at the Lesotho border during their five-month road trip across east and southern Africa, the...
By Håvar Bauck The Exchange Africa | The Trans-African Highway network, a bold blueprint conceived to foster economic integration on the African continent, has been a...
By Chinedu Okafor African trade experts have highlighted a number of obstacles preventing the intra-African market from maximizing its potential, including cumbersome border inspections, harassment, solicitation...
Bloomberg | Kenya’s president urged African countries to process payments through a platform developed to handle local currencies across the continent, as emerging nations struggle to...
Business Daily | Kenyan President William Ruto has announced plans to remove visa requirements for African nationals travelling to Kenya for business as a first major...
Landry Signé and Chido Munyati African logistics have struggled to cater to the continent’s growing population and dynamic private sector for far too long. New research...
The East African | Kenya exported its first goods under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to Ghana late last month. Kenyan-made Exide batteries...
Brookings | The narrative around a successful African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)—its potential to increase intra-African trade by 15 to 25 percent, or $50 billion to $70 billion—is...
By Gregory Simpkins On May 30, 2019, the framework agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) entered into force, But this continental body still...
Bloomberg | The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) joined the East African Community (EAC), bringing the regional trading bloc’s market size to a quarter of...
Intra-African trade provides a compelling opportunity to move away from reliance on exports of raw materials and develop the continent’s economies
The pandemic continues to exact a large toll on sub-Saharan Africa
By Johan Burger Multinational corporations have targeted Africa as a destination for their investments for quite a while. The latest investments include American multinational food manufacturer...
The first annual African Business Leaders Forum conference will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from December 9-12 at the Sandton Convention Center. The conference has...
Traders on the floor of the Nigerian Stock exchange. PHOTO/File Global investors are being enticed by bountiful opportunities to do business in Africa, as the continent...
By Carlos Lopes It is unquestionable that Africa is on a major ascendance path, a trend shared by the rest of the rising ‘South’. Despite the...
