Efforts and Achievements in the AfCFTA Negotiations

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies details the progress and structure of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations, including the three phases of legal protocols, tariff liberalisation targets, and the implementation of supporting systems like the Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

• The AfCFTA agreement, which took effect in January 2021, has been signed by all African Union member states except Eritrea. As of January 2024, 47 of the 55 countries have ratified the agreement, with Benin, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan yet to do so.
• AfCFTA negotiations are structured into three phases. Phase 1 covers trade in goods and services; Phase 2 addresses intellectual property rights, investment, and competition policy; and Phase 3 focuses on e-commerce and women and youth in trade. In February 2024, the AU Assembly adopted draft protocols for Phase 3, including a Protocol on Digital Trade, followed by eight annexes adopted in February 2025.
• The AfCFTA aims for 97% tariff liberalisation of goods by 2034. Under Phase 1, member states agreed to fully liberalise 90% of tariff lines with zero rates. The remaining 10% is split into 'sensitive products' (7% of lines) with a 10% tariff rate, and 3% of lines that are entirely excluded from liberalisation and reviewed every five years.
• The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), launched in October 2022 as a 'pilot phase', allows verified State Parties to test the AfCFTA's operational and legal environment through commercially meaningful trading.
• The Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), ratified by 44 countries by January 2024, allows transactions in 42 African currencies without third-party currencies like the US dollar or Euro. South Africa has not ratified PAPSS due to concerns over currency stability, regulatory alignment, and trade-payment risks, despite holding over 80% of Africa's manufactured goods trade.
• Progress on the AU Protocol of Free Movement of Persons is slow; only 34 countries signed the protocol, and only four—Rwanda, Niger, Mali, and São Tomé and Príncipe—have ratified it.

APA

Chipanda, B., & Cilliers, J. (2026). Efforts and Achievements in the AfCFTA Negotiations. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=08-afcfta&topic=08-efforts-achievements-afcfta-negotiations

Chicago

Chipanda, Blessing, and Jakkie Cilliers. Efforts and Achievements in the AfCFTA Negotiations. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=08-afcfta&topic=08-efforts-achievements-afcfta-negotiations.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chipanda |first1=Blessing |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=Efforts and Achievements in the AfCFTA Negotiations |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=29 March 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=08-afcfta&topic=08-efforts-achievements-afcfta-negotiations |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chipanda2026efforts, author = {Chipanda, Blessing and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Efforts and Achievements in the AfCFTA Negotiations}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=08-afcfta&topic=08-efforts-achievements-afcfta-negotiations}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }