African policymakers and institutional leaders have issued a collective call for stronger execution of the continent’s major integration frameworks, warning that the gap between policy design and practical delivery remains the single greatest obstacle to realising Africa’s continental market vision.
The call emerged from a high-level roundtable held on the sidelines of the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., which ran from April 13 to 18.
The roundtable, convened by the World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Dr. Ndiame Diop, brought together African ministers, private sector leaders, and officials from the African Union and its Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to examine the path to accelerated continental integration.
H.E. Elias Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), delivered a direct call to action, urging accelerated delivery of three continental priorities: the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), and the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol. He stressed that Africa’s challenge is no longer agreeing on integration but delivering it in a coordinated and impactful way.
AfCFTA Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene joined discussions examining how these three frameworks, spanning trade, air connectivity and human mobility, can work in tandem under a single integration agenda. Participants highlighted that while Africa has made significant progress in designing these frameworks, implementation gaps remain a major obstacle, with persistent challenges including operational bottlenecks at borders, fragmented air transport systems and restricted movement of people continuing to slow progress.
The urgency of execution was underscored by the global environment. The 2026 World Economic Outlook signalled that the global economy is entering a more fragile phase, shaped by tighter financial conditions, geopolitical tensions, climate shocks, and elevated debt levels. For African states, the message was clear: navigating uncertainty requires coordinated, credible, and forward-looking policies that anchor macroeconomic stability, deepen regional integration through AfCFTA, and invest in productivity, human capital, and climate resilience.
The Washington discussions echoed a consistent refrain from African leaders in recent months. Mene has previously warned that Africa’s single market project risks falling short unless the continent makes decisive progress on eliminating travel barriers, noting that Africans cannot travel to up to 90 percent of Africa without a visa. On SAATM, the continent’s aviation integration framework, progress has similarly been slow, with some African countries still denying other African airlines access to their airspace due to competitive concerns.
Participants at the Washington roundtable agreed that stronger coordination between governments and the private sector is essential, and that when trade flows more efficiently, mobility expands and systems become better connected, the continent is better positioned to transition from fragmented economies into a single dynamic market.
The roundtable concluded with a shared recognition among participants that Africa’s next phase of economic transformation will hinge on translating existing commitments into practical outcomes, with coordinated and sustained implementation now the priority.
