African policymakers and business leaders must move beyond theoretical discussions to implement concrete measures that unlock the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) full economic potential, industry experts emphasized at a high-level panel in Accra.
The event, organized by Stellenbosch Business School Alumni Association Ghana Chapter, highlighted critical gaps in infrastructure, digital readiness, and informal sector inclusion that hinder intra-African trade.
Despite creating a potential $3.4 trillion market for 1.3 billion people, intra-African trade remains stagnant at 15% – far below Europe’s 60-70% rates. Unilever Ghana’s Chris Wulff-Caesar stressed that competitiveness and consumer trust in African products, not just policy alignment, will drive real progress. Fidelity Bank’s Nana Esi Idun-Arkhurst warned that without targeted support for MSMEs – particularly women and youth-led businesses – the agreement risks excluding the continent’s economic backbone.
Academic Prof. Samuel Bonsu highlighted how colonial legacies continue to undermine confidence in local production, while digital expert Ekow Thompson called for purpose-built platforms to help SMEs scale cross-border operations. Legal consultant Brenda Semevo Afari cautioned that inconsistent tariff regimes and governance gaps threaten to keep AfCFTA’s benefits theoretical.
The consensus: realizing AfCFTA’s promise requires coordinated investment in physical/digital infrastructure, simplified trade processes for informal businesses, and a fundamental mindset shift toward African solutions. As Stellenbosch alumnus Lawrence Okine noted, “Africa doesn’t lack talent – we lack systems to harness it continentally.”
