The success of Africa’s single market will depend on whether governments and businesses can build the infrastructure needed to move goods efficiently across the continent, speakers at Biashara Afrika 2026 said during a high-level discussion on trade connectivity.
Leaders from the logistics, transport and trade sectors said the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA) risks falling short of its transformative potential unless African economies accelerate investment in ports, transport corridors and integrated logistics systems.
The session, titled “Connecting Africa – Infrastructure, Ports, Corridors and the Future of African Trade,” focused on the physical and operational bottlenecks that continue to slow intra-African commerce despite progress on trade liberalisation.
Participants said fragmented border systems, weak transport links and underdeveloped port infrastructure remain major obstacles to scaling trade under the AfCFTA framework.
“African economic operators are not mere users of trade corridors, but strategic partners with the potential to invest in infrastructure development. The AfCFTA provides the framework to enable that,” said Patient Sayiba Tambwe, Board Member, AfCFTA Adjustment Fund.
Speakers called for African borders to be transformed from trade bottlenecks into economic gateways through harmonised systems, faster customs processes and coordinated infrastructure planning across regions.
The panel also called on governments and private investors to accelerate port modernisation projects and develop commercially viable trade corridors capable of linking producers to regional markets at scale.
The discussions reflect growing concern among policymakers and businesses that the AfCFTA’s long-term success will depend not only on tariff reductions and policy alignment, but also on the continent’s ability to build the roads, rail networks, ports and logistics systems needed to support a more integrated African market.
