Africa is making tangible progress toward regional economic integration, driven by new trade policies, cross-border infrastructure projects, and financial linkages that are reshaping the continent’s investment and trade landscape, according to the latest Regional Integration and Market Access Insights report published by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in September 2025.
The report shows that the continent’s overall integration score stands at 0.327 out of 1, meaning Africa is operating at only about a third of its integration potential. South Africa leads with a score of 0.63, followed by Kenya, Rwanda, Morocco, Mauritius, and Egypt.
The strongest performance comes from the free movement of people (0.441), boosted by regional frameworks such as ECOWAS and greater visa openness in East and Southern Africa.
Afreximbank notes that macroeconomic and trade integration are also advancing, supported by regional monetary unions and free trade arrangements. However, infrastructure and productive integration remain weak, scoring just above 0.20, underscoring the need for large-scale investment and institutional alignment.
Key projects during the review period include the €250 million Lobito Corridor rail network, connecting Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia to the Atlantic coast, and the Douala–Ndjamena Corridor upgrade linking Cameroon and Chad. These projects, alongside improved border systems at Chirundu and Kazungula, are expected to reduce logistics costs and accelerate mineral exports, especially copper and cobalt.
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Trade policy reforms also gathered momentum. Namibia recorded its first AfCFTA-guided export shipment, a 45,000-tonne consignment of salt to Nigeria, demonstrating operational progress under the continental free trade framework. Meanwhile, Algeria joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), becoming the 18th member to adopt the cross-border payment infrastructure designed to reduce dependency on external currencies such as the US dollar.
The European Union launched a €200 million Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access programme to boost regional trade and strengthen value chains, while China announced a zero-tariff policy covering imports from 53 African countries. These developments signal growing international confidence in Africa’s integration efforts.
However, uncertainty over the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) renewal in the United States and rising compliance demands from the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism present new challenges. Afreximbank warns that Africa must leverage emerging opportunities while preparing for external shocks by deepening intra-African trade and aligning with green market standards.
The outlook remains positive, but success depends on execution. Afreximbank emphasizes the need to scale AfCFTA utilisation, expand local-currency settlements under Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), and accelerate investment in infrastructure and logistics.
The report concludes that if Africa bridges the gap between ambition and delivery, the next phase of integration could mark a transition from fragmented progress to structural transformation, anchored by stronger value chains, more predictable trade flows, and greater bargaining power in global markets.
