Africa’s internal trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains one of the continent’s least developed economic engines, accounting for only a fraction of total commerce compared with other regions.
Yet a handful of countries are leading the shift toward greater regional integration by exporting more goods to neighbouring markets.
The continent’s trade system is entering a critical phase as Africa adjusts to the loss of longstanding preferential access to the United States, with the AfCFTA emerging as a key framework to strengthen intra-African commerce and reduce reliance on external partners.
For years, export growth in Africa was supported by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provided duty-free entry for garments, agricultural produce, and automotive parts into the U.S. While this helped scale industries in several countries, it also entrenched dependence on policies determined outside the continent.
Now, with the U.S. implementing more protectionist tariffs and phasing out AGOA benefits, exporters face higher costs and reduced competitiveness.
According to Semafor, Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Washington’s “disregard for trade rules” and the expiration of AGOA highlight the urgent need for Africa to “build a domestic market” by strengthening supply chains and improving transport logistics to drive intra-continental trade.
The AfCFTA offers a pathway to shift production and demand inward, but progress begins with understanding the current structure of intra-African trade.
Intra-African trade accounted for just 14 percent of the continent’s total trade in 2024, compared with roughly 60 percent in Asia and Europe. Weak regional value chains continue to limit economic spillovers and industrial growth across Africa.
To thrive in a post-AGOA landscape, Africa must consolidate internal trade power and transform regional demand into a primary engine of economic expansion, according to Business Insider Africa.
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Data from Tralac and AGOA.info, presented by Semafor, highlights the top 10 intra-African exporters:
— South Africa — 28 percent
— Egypt — 7 percent
— Nigeria — 6 percent
— DR Congo — 6 percent
— Côte d’Ivoire — 5 percent
— Djibouti — 4 percent
— Ghana — 3 percent
— Morocco — 3 percent
— Namibia — 3 percent
— Zambia — 3 percent.
South Africa’s share nearly equals the combined contribution of all countries outside the top ten, emphasizing its unmatched industrial capacity.
Together, these top performers are shaping supply chains, driving industrialization, and advancing the ambitions of the AfCFTA.
Meanwhile, all remaining African economies combined make up just 32 percent of internal exports, underscoring that while a few nations have strong manufacturing and logistics networks, many others remain heavily reliant on external suppliers even for basic goods.
This imbalance in intra-African exports is a stark warning about the fragility of the continent’s current trade system.
Trade and development experts continue to urge African governments to accelerate AfCFTA implementation to unlock stronger intra-African commerce and regional growth. At a recent AfCFTA workshop in Lusaka, UN Economic Commission for Africa officials emphasized that progress must deliver tangible benefits.
“Accelerated implementation is not just about speed, it is about depth, inclusivity, and sustainability,” said Eunice Kamwendo, ECA Southern Africa Director, while Andrew Mold noted that intra-regional exports already account for roughly 30 percent in Eastern and Southern Africa, providing “a strong foundation to build upon.”
If Africa is to withstand global market shifts and rising tariffs from major powers, intra-African trade must become the backbone of its economic growth.
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Image Credit: The African Exponent
