ISSUE 11 | Policy, Progress and the People behind the AfCFTA

Driving Industrialisation and Regional Integration at Biashara Afrika 2026

The AfCFTA Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council was active in Biashara throughout the summit, beginning with the Cotton, Textiles, and Apparel (CTA) Regional Value Chain Workshop on May 17, 2026, which aimed to accelerate regional value addition, strengthen manufacturing linkages, mobilize investment, and advance coordinated implementation of the CTA value chain strategy. This was followed by the official launch of the CTA Value Chain Initiative on May 19, which marked a significant milestone in establishing interconnected regional production ecosystems.

The Council also participated in high-level panel talks on agriculture and agro-processing, where participants discussed methods for improving food security, accelerating agro-industrialization, improving cross-border value chains, and expanding market access for African farmers. Deliberations on key minerals focused on going beyond raw material exports to local beneficiation, industrial processing, regional manufacturing, and the establishment of sustainable value chains to assist Africa's green industrial transition. Throughout the discussions, a consistent message emerged: Africa's economic transformation under AfCFTA will be dependent on translating policy pledges into coordinated investment, industrial growth, and commercially viable regional value chains.

Unlocking Intra-African Trade Through Innovative Trade Finance Solutions

The discussion highlighted the critical role that trade-enabling instruments, transit solutions, and innovative export trading models play in advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda. Through its comprehensive suite of trade facilitation tools, Afreximbank continues to reduce barriers to cross-border commerce, expand market access, and address longstanding financing, payment, and logistics challenges faced by African businesses. The discussion emphasized the importance of efficient transit systems, enhanced trade finance mechanisms, and structured export trading platforms as key enablers of intra-African trade and essential building blocks for realizing the full potential of the AfCFTA, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The discussion further underscored the need to develop seamless regional trade corridors and strengthen the enabling environment for trade, investment, and industrial development. Such efforts will support greater participation of African firms in regional and global value chains, accelerate industrialization, enhance competitiveness, and drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth across the continent.

• SME and Inclusive Growth: A central goal of Biashara Afrika is empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), young entrepreneurs, and women-led businesses to trade seamlessly across borders without prohibitive tariffs.

• Ecobank Trade Finance: On the sidelines of the summit, the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Ecobank Group signed a landmark agreement to unlock $3 billion in trade finance. This critical funding is specifically targeted at bridging the trade finance gap for SMEs and women-led businesses across the single market.

• ITC and Special Economic Zones (SEZs): The AfCFTA Secretariat renewed its memorandum of understanding with the International Trade Centre (ITC) to build a practical, business-friendly ecosystem for smaller enterprises. Additionally, partnerships were struck with developers like Rendeavour to transform SEZs into interconnected, pan-African manufacturing and logistics hubs.

Other Major May 2026 AfCFTA Developments

• Air Cargo Corridors: Marking Africa Day on May 25, Nigeria expanded its implementation of the AfCFTA by partnering with RwandAir to create the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, which significantly mitigates prohibitive cargo costs for regional exporters.

• Early Trade Wins: Economic indicators released during the summit highlighted early successes, with South Africa recording over R2 billion in exports under AfCFTA preferential rules to markets like Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, and Algeria.