By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – The Cameroon Economic Policy Institute (CEPI) has brought together economic policy experts from Cameroon, South Sudan and Zambia to examine progress, challenges and opportunities in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The discussion took place during a webinar on March 6, titled “The AfCFTA’s Implementation in Cameroon, South Sudan, and Zambia.” The session examined the practical steps required to implement the continental trade agreement and explored policy measures to help countries overcome barriers to creating a single integrated African market.
The webinar featured John Mustafa from South Sudan, Kenny Suze from Zambia and Dinga Tambi, a Research Fellow at CEPI. Henri Koum, the Executive Director of CEPI, described AfCFTA as a major opportunity for Africa’s economic transformation, creating access to a continental market of more than 1.3 billion consumers.
However, he noted that implementation remains uneven across countries and continues to face significant obstacles, including inadequate trade infrastructure, limited awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises, non-tariff barriers and institutional weaknesses.
Different levels of implementation
The country presentations highlighted significant differences in the progress made by Cameroon, Zambia and South Sudan. South Sudan remains behind in ratifying the agreement despite signing the AfCFTA in 2018.
According to the discussion, the delay is linked partly to limited awareness among policymakers and concerns over exposing the country’s young economy to competition from larger African economies. There are also fears that South Sudan could become a dumping ground for goods from more developed economies if adequate safeguards are not established.
Zambia, by contrast, has moved further along the implementation process. The country ratified the AfCFTA in 2021 and adopted a complementary national strategy in 2022 aimed at aligning national policies with the continental framework.
Participants pointed to Zambia’s growing agricultural exports as an indication of the opportunities that AfCFTA can create. In 2025, the country completed its first beef consignments to the Democratic Republic of Congo, reinforcing its potential to become an important agricultural supplier within the continental market.
Cameroon ratified the AfCFTA in 2019 and was selected in 2022 to pilot the Guided Trade Initiative. The experts noted that Cameroonian businesses have already begun exporting products, including tea and dried fruits, to Ghana under the AfCFTA framework.
Infrastructure remains critical
The experts stressed that political commitments alone will not be enough to make the continental free trade agreement work. They called for the removal of tariffs and other trade bottlenecks while urging governments to invest in roads, railways, ports and other infrastructure necessary to move goods efficiently across borders.
Transport infrastructure was identified as particularly important for landlocked countries such as Zambia, where efficient regional transport corridors are essential for connecting producers to regional and continental markets.
The panel also called for stronger institutions and improved customs systems. Customs officials, they said, need training in digital tools, standard operating procedures and AfCFTA-related reforms to reduce delays and make cross-border trade more efficient. Entrepreneurs must equally be sensitised on the agreement’s rules of origin and other procedures required to access preferential trading arrangements.
During the webinar, participants argued that women and youth should be supported to move beyond informal and low-value agricultural activities into formal businesses, digital services and financial sectors.
They called for the simplification of business registration procedures and improved access to credit and other sources of finance. Reducing bureaucratic barriers, they said, would allow more entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses and take advantage of opportunities created by the continental market.
Policy priorities identified
The webinar concluded with several recommendations aimed at accelerating AfCFTA implementation. Governments were urged to align national policies with the AfCFTA framework while increasing awareness among private-sector operators, businesses and agriculture-led enterprises about the opportunities available under the agreement.
Participants also called for greater transparency in trade data and improved information sharing among customs administrations and other relevant institutions.
Another recommendation was for countries to identify and concentrate on sectors in which they have clear competitive advantages rather than attempting to produce every type of product domestically.
The discussions accentuated the gap between signing and ratifying AfCFTA commitments and translating them into actual trade opportunities for businesses and citizens. For CEPI and the experts who participated in the webinar, closing that implementation gap will require coordinated policy reforms, better infrastructure, stronger institutions and greater involvement of the private sector.
The ultimate objective, they stressed, is to transform AfCFTA from a continental policy commitment into a functioning single market capable of driving trade, investment, employment and economic growth across Africa.
