The African Continental Free Trade Agreement: Opportunities and Challenges

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) represents a milestone for African Unity. It offers unique opportunities for African countries to increase intra-continental trade, and strengthen their position within the international trading system. This study explores the opportunities and challenges arising from the agreement, its expected economic impact and next steps. The AfCFTA can reduce the cost of cross-border trade in Africa, thereby generating employment, reducing poverty and modernising African societies. This will however require tackling challenges lying ahead