The African Continental Free Trade Area‘s (AfCFTA) pact is shifting from rule-making to execution, with the next few years seen as critical to turning policy into tangible gains in trade and industrial growth, secretary general of AfCFTA Wamkele Mene has said.
The secretary general said Africa has largely completed the design phase of its trade framework and must now focus on delivery, particularly by drawing the private sector into priority industries capable of driving cross-border commerce.
Mene was speaking during a high-level dialogue organised by the Brookings Institution in partnership with Circle, where he served as co-chair of The Africa Dialogues. He said the coming three to five years would determine whether the AfCFTA delivers on its promise to deepen intra-African trade and strengthen regional value chains.
He pointed to agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics, and automotive manufacturing as sectors with the strongest potential to unlock trade within the continent. Mobilising private investment in these areas, he said, is essential to scaling production and reducing trade costs.
Mene also highlighted critical minerals as a strategic priority, citing their growing importance in the global economy. He said African countries must accelerate efforts to add value locally rather than exporting raw materials, as geopolitical competition for resources intensifies.
The AfCFTA, covering more than 50 countries, is central to Africa’s strategy to promote industrialisation and reduce vulnerability to external shocks as global trade becomes more fragmented.
