The Road to Africa's Single Market: Progress So Far and Challenges for the Future

The AfCFTA aims to create a single African market by eliminating 97% of tariffs, but full implementation is hindered by delayed Rules of Origin negotiations and clashes between national interests and pan-African goals. The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) serves as a pilot to maintain momentum and test regulatory instruments among eight selected countries.

• The AfCFTA aims to drive industrialisation and prosperity by eliminating 97% of tariff lines on goods and services. Implementation timelines vary by country category: Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have 13 years to reach 97% liberalisation, non-LDCs have 10 years, and G6 countries have negotiated a 15-year period.
• Commercially significant trade under the AfCFTA has been delayed primarily due to stalled Phase 1 negotiations on Rules of Origin (RoO). As of November 2022, 88.3% of RoO had been negotiated, falling short of the 90% required for the first stage of liberalisation. Contentious tariff lines include automotive goods, edible oils, sugar, and textiles and clothing.

APA

Tayo, T. T. (2023). The Road to Africa's Single Market: Progress So Far and Challenges for the Future. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/the-road-to-africas-single-market-progress-so-far-and-challenges-for-the-future

Chicago

Tayo, Teniola T. The Road to Africa's Single Market: Progress So Far and Challenges for the Future. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2023. https://afripoli.org/the-road-to-africas-single-market-progress-so-far-and-challenges-for-the-future.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tayo |first1=Teniola T. |title=The Road to Africa's Single Market: Progress So Far and Challenges for the Future |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=13 March 2023 |url=https://afripoli.org/the-road-to-africas-single-market-progress-so-far-and-challenges-for-the-future |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tayo2023road, author = {Tayo, Teniola T.}, title = {{The Road to Africa's Single Market: Progress So Far and Challenges for the Future}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://afripoli.org/the-road-to-africas-single-market-progress-so-far-and-challenges-for-the-future}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }