AfCFTA Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council Meeting and Trade Ministers’ Retreat
The week of 11–16 September 2025 was a significant period in the calendar of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council (Advisory Council). The AfCFTA Advisory Council convenes approximately four times a year, with a minimum of one meeting held in person. This month’s meeting coincided with the Trade Ministers’ Retreat, where Advisory Council members were invited to participate in the discussions. The Retreat was held in Egypt, and Cairo became a hub for ministers, business leaders, and experts working together under the AfCFTA to spark partnerships, support entrepreneurs, and unlock new trade and investment opportunities.
Leading to the Trade Ministers’ Retreat, the Advisory Council convened a closed session with the AfCFTA Secretary-General, H.E Wamkele Mene, and members of the AfCFTA Secretariat team. The purpose of this meeting was to review the progress of the AfCFTA implementation, address unresolved issues within the negotiations, and discuss the newly established Green Industrial Development Expert Panel (GIDEP), which was formed by the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and the African Climate Foundation. GIDEP comprises of experts from Africa and the broader Global South to influence green industrialisation and to strengthen African capacity for formulating strategic policy positions on sustainable pathways for the green industrial development of African countries.
The 4th Ministerial Retreat of the Council of Ministers of the AfCFTA aimed to facilitate high-level dialogue with the private sector to promote Africa’s economic integration. The official opening ceremony featured welcome remarks by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Honourable Eng. Hassan Al-Khatib, and a statement from H.E Mene. The Advisory Council supported the AfCFTA Secretariat with two key presentations. Dr Rob Davies discussed how to navigate free trade agreements, manage import penetration, and position the AfCFTA as a significant integration initiative. Following him, Prof Faizel Ismail presented on developing competitive regional fibre-to-garment value chains in Africa, guided by a private sector vision and strategic plan.
For the past two years, the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance has engaged in consultations with the private sector across the cotton, fibre, textile, and apparel value chain in Mauritius, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia, Tanzania, and South Africa. These discussions addressed manufacturing capabilities, export competitiveness, non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, second-hand clothing, the uncertainty of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), as well as logistical challenges such as transport and electricity. From this process emerged the private sector vision, Developing a Globally Competitive, Regenerative and Vertically Integrated Industry in Africa: A Call for Action from the Private Sector. The goal is to collectively establish the first regional value chain, extending from Mauritius to Morocco, led by the private sector but guided and supported by the AfCFTA. The call to action aims to move beyond negotiations towards implementation, using the outcomes to inform actions across other priority sectors.
A common theme in both the Advisory Council meeting and the Ministerial Retreat was the urgent need for a continental industrial policy, which currently does not exist. The Advisory Council, however, warned that it must be made clear that although industrial policy is carried out at the national level, its impact is enhanced through regional and continental coordination. It is therefore recommended that this principle be strongly emphasised when the continental industrial policy is drafted.