The African Continental Free Trade Area: A Historical Moment for Development in Africa

The signature of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by 44 African Union member States at the 10th extraordinary meeting of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Kigali on 21 March 2018, marked a momentous milestone for economic integration in Africa.1 On 1 January 2021, after some 5 years of technical efforts since the official launch of negotiations in June 2015, this outstanding political accomplishment bore fruit in the official start of trading under the Agreement. The first consignments of goods traded under the AfCFTA—containers of cosmetics and drinks from Ghana to South Africa— were reported to have shipped by 5 January 2021 (Daily Graphic, 2021). As of July 2021, 40 African countries had ratified the AfCFTA.