The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has called into question the widely cited statistic that intra-African trade accounts for only 15% of total trade on the continent. According to him, the real figure may be much higher due to substantial informal trade and incomplete data, particularly in services.
Speaking at the Ghana Roadshow for the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Accra, Mene noted that traditional metrics often overlook informal cross-border commerce and trade in services, leading to an underestimation of Africa’s internal trade performance.
“This number likely fails to capture the full scope of trade happening within Africa,” he stated, highlighting informal transactions and data gaps as key blind spots.
He emphasized AfCFTA’s commitment to reducing Africa’s reliance on raw material exports by strengthening regional value chains, supporting industrial hubs, and promoting policies that boost intra-African trade and production.
“We’re removing trade barriers and cutting non-tariff measures to encourage value addition and industrial specialization within the continent,” Mene said.
Looking ahead to the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair, scheduled for September in Algiers, Mene described the event as a major opportunity for driving investments, partnerships, and trade deals. The AfCFTA Secretariat will host its own pavilion to offer guidance and showcase the agreement’s impact.
“Africa’s journey toward inclusive and lasting prosperity depends on deepening intra-continental trade—and IATF2025 will be a practical step in making that vision a reality,” he concluded.
