[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

African Continental Free Trade Area

Ratified (dark green) and light/medium green (not ratified)

There is an African proverb which warns that "only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet" – which is a pertinent consideration as the continent's 54 sovereign states take a step towards greater economic unity. If the dream of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gets off the ground, it will become the largest economic bloc on the planet, serving a population of 1.27 billion. But before African nations leap in with both feet, there are voices counselling caution. Some are questioning why African economies, under the guidance of the African Union, are seeking greater integration when much of the rest of the world seems increasingly drawn to isolationist policies. During a World Economic Forum debate in South Africa in 2019, Ngaire Woods,  a senior research fellow and professor of global economic governance at Oxford University suggested there would inevitably be winners and losers – and she drew a comparison with the European Union and its current issues, particularly with Brexit. Ngaire Woods said that while the project was "a big opportunity", Africa shouldn’t just throw down all the barriers. The consequences of liberalisation, she said, could damage some of the poorest countries. She urged that those driving AfCFTA should keep the political debate and economic advantages together. She said: "You have to pool sovereignty, but if people don’t trust your government; if they think the arrangements only benefit a small minority they will say they want to take back control, and that’s the situation that Britain finds itself in." Even at these early stages of continental union, African countries are cautious, including Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, which needed many assurances before putting its name to the beginning of the operational phase of AfCFTA. However, many have realised that, currently, it's easier for an African nation to trade with the rest of the world than it is to trade with its neighbour. So while there may be winners and losers, Africa's vastly diverse economies seem to be on course to take the leap.

What trade deals are there with other countries and economic unions?

None

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Member Countries

Country	Population (2018)	GDP Growth (2021, %)	Date Joined
Benin	11,485,674	6.6000	07/07/2019
Burkina Faso	19,751,651	6.9063	01/04/2019
Cameroon	24,678,234	3.4866	19/07/2019
Chad	15,353,184	-1.2000	01/04/2019
Congo	5,399,895	-3.5000	01/04/2019
Côte d'Ivoire	24,905,843	7.0215	01/04/2019
Djibouti	971,408	4.3097	01/04/2019
Egypt	99,375,741	3.3267	01/04/2019
Equatorial Guinea	1,313,894	-0.9454	01/04/2019
Eswatini	1,391,385	7.4261	01/04/2019
Ethiopia	107,534,882	5.6373	01/04/2019
Gabon	2,067,561	1.5054	01/04/2019
Gambia	2,163,765	5.6265	01/04/2019
Ghana	29,463,643	5.3565	01/04/2019
Guinea	13,052,608	3.1232	01/04/2019
Kenya	50,950,879	7.5174	01/04/2019
Mali	19,107,706	3.0699	01/04/2019
Mauritania	4,540,068	2.2997	01/04/2019
Namibia	2,587,801	2.4306	01/04/2019
Niger	22,311,375	1.3521	01/04/2019
Nigeria	195,875,237	3.6472	07/07/2019
Rwanda	12,501,156	10.8845	01/04/2019
Sao Tome and Principe	208,818	1.8000	01/04/2019
Senegal	16,294,270	6.0645	01/04/2019
Sierra Leone	7,719,729	3.0502	29/04/2019
South Africa	57,398,421	4.9146	01/04/2019
Togo	7,990,926	5.2606	01/04/2019
Uganda	44,270,563	3.3796	01/04/2019
Western Sahara	567,421	0.0000	29/04/2019
Zimbabwe	16,913,261	5.8494	01/04/2019

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]