Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has issued a forceful appeal for private sector leadership, warning that the continent’s landmark trade agreement cannot reach its full potential without robust business participation.
“Without the private sector as a co-driver of this ambitious project, the success of the AfCFTA will be constrained,” Mene said in his opening address at BiasharaAfrika2026.
The Secretary-General’s remarks come as the AfCFTA marks tangible progress in boosting commerce across Africa’s 54 economies. Mene pointed to the growth in intra-African trade as proof that the agreement is delivering results, transforming what once seemed impossible into a lived reality for Africa.
To date, 50 state parties have ratified the agreement establishing the AfCFTA, with 26 actively trading under its rules. Intra-Africa trade reached a record $220 billion in 2024, a 12.5% increase from the prior year, according to Afreximbank data. The bank projects intra-African trade will climb to $230 billion by 2027.
The AfCFTA, which entered into force in 2021, aims to create a single market for goods and services across the continent, eliminating tariffs on 90% of products and addressing non-tariff barriers that have long hindered cross-border commerce.
Mene stressed the fundamental link between trade policy and commercial activity, noting that there can be no trade without businesses. He outlined the Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and private sector actors through practical tools and instruments designed to unlock opportunities under the Agreement.
A central pillar of the Secretariat’s strategy involves digitalizing trade infrastructure. Mene noted several digital instruments already in deployment, including digital payment systems, non-tariff barrier reporting mechanisms, and the e-Certificate of Origin. These tools, he said, are accelerating Africa’s digital trade transformation and streamlining processes that have historically complicated cross-border transactions.
The Secretary-General further reaffirmed the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to moving the agreement beyond paper to practical implementation capable of addressing the continent’s trade challenges. The pledge underscores ongoing concerns that while the legal framework for the AfCFTA has been established, operational hurdles, including inadequate infrastructure, regulatory fragmentation, and limited private sector awareness, continue to slow uptake.
BiasharaAfrika2026, a major continental business forum, serves as a platform for policymakers and private sector leaders to align on strategies for deepening trade integration. Mene’s opening remarks set a clear tone, the AfCFTA’s next phase of growth depends not on government action alone, but on businesses stepping forward as active partners in the continent’s economic transformation.
