Making the AfCFTA Work for ‘The Africa We Want’

Hippolyte Fofack

Published: December 2021

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has been touted as an economic and globalisation game changer because it has the potential to transform African economies and significantly raise Africa’s share of global trade to position the region as an increasingly dynamic force in the international arena. However, to realise this potential African countries must actively carry out complementary structural and policy reforms to foster long-term peace and security, address supply-side constraints and mitigate AfCFTA’s short-term fiscal adjustment costs to set the project on a successful implementation path for a win–win continental trade-integration outcome. This article reviews the potential development impact the AfCFTA and provides a comprehensive analysis of reforms and programmes required to ensure the agreement’s successful implementation.