ACCRA, Ghana – The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers vast potential to transform Africa’s economic landscape, but without adequate infrastructure, its impact may fall short.
Dr. Tsotetsi Makong, Director of Coordination and Programmes at the AfCFTA Secretariat, has emphasized the inseparable link between trade and infrastructure.
For AfCFTA to succeed, Africa must urgently close its annual infrastructure gap, estimated at $100 billion to $130 billion.
Infrastructure Is the Foundation of Trade
Speaking at a recent Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) forum, Makong stressed that hard and soft infrastructure are critical. “The relationship between trade and infrastructure is inseparable,” he said.
“For trade to happen, there needs to be enabling infrastructure such as roads, electricity, bulk water and regulatory systems. You can’t have industries without water, and you can’t move goods without roads.”
AfCFTA aims to create the largest free trade area by population, promoting intra-African trade through tariff elimination and reduction of non-tariff barriers.
With 48 of 54 signatories, or 88.9 %, having ratified the AfCFTA Agreement as of May 2025, political momentum is strong. But ratification alone is not enough. Infrastructure will determine success on the ground.
AfCFTA in Action
The AfCFTA Secretariat, based in Accra, Ghana, has been central to building operational systems since trading began on January 1, 2021.
Milestones include the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS), which supports cross-border transactions in local currencies, and agreed Rules of Origin on 92.3 % of tariff lines.
The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), launched in October 2022, allows real-time trade under AfCFTA while piloting regulatory and logistical systems.
Initially involving eight countries, the GTI expanded by 2024 to include 37 State Parties across all regions.
Makong added that infrastructure is not just a technical issue. It is the backbone of a functioning continental market.
“We need to be powered up, for services, for production, for logistics. It’s the foundation of the single market,” he said.
