AfCFTA Implementation: Learnings from Value Chains and Regional Blocs

The report argues that the success of the AfCFTA depends on operational execution rather than legal commitments, highlighting the need for integrated customs, mutual recognition of standards, and the resolution of non-tariff barriers. Drawing on a mango purée value chain study across the EAC, COMESA, and SADC, it demonstrates how regional models like the EAC Single Customs Territory can reduce trade costs and time. It also emphasizes that physical infrastructure and security constraints can outweigh regulatory reforms, necessitating a coordinated approach to infrastructure investment.

• Integrated customs processes are vital for reducing trade costs and delays. The East African Community (EAC) Single Customs Territory (SCT), adopted in 2014, allows goods to be declared using the destination country's requirements while still at the production facility, which has significantly reduced transport times from ports like Dar es Salaam and Mombasa from 21 and 18 days to seven and four days, respectively. Average transit costs fell from $3,100 to $1,025 per shipment.
• Mutual recognition of standards prevents the need for repetitive testing and certification in importing countries, reducing compliance costs. The EAC has a common standard for fruit juices, purée, pulp and nectars where certification in the country of consignment is recognized in the destination country. While COMESA and SADC have established frameworks for harmonization, practical implementation remains uneven across sectors.
• Domestic taxes and fees, such as VAT, surtaxes, and metrology fees, persist even for goods eligible for zero customs duties under preferential trade regimes. These charges can create unexpected costs and reduce the predictability of trade, leading some companies in the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) to mistakenly believe that AfCFTA preferences meant zero payment of all domestic charges.
• Effective mechanisms for reporting and resolving non-tariff barriers (NTBs) are essential for market access. The AfCFTA Secretariat has launched an online NTB reporting, monitoring and elimination mechanism to allow traders to submit complaints and track cases in real time, though the report notes that resolving barriers like surtaxes often requires high-level political will and inter-ministerial coordination.
• Physical geography, infrastructure deficits, and security risks can outweigh regulatory improvements. High fuel costs, unreliable road links, and insurgent activity along key corridors can make overland transport unviable despite preferential trade access. To address this, the African Union has identified 69 PIDA projects as of January 2025 with an estimated cost of $160.8 billion to improve connectivity.
• Trade facilitation challenges within Africa can make it cheaper and faster for businesses to import products from outside the continent than to source them regionally, even when the products are abundantly available within Africa, as seen with mango purée.

APA

World Economic Forum (2026). AfCFTA Implementation: Learnings from Value Chains and Regional Blocs. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AfCFTA_Implementation_Learnings_from_Value_Chains_and_Regional_Blocs_2026.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. AfCFTA Implementation: Learnings from Value Chains and Regional Blocs. 2026. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AfCFTA_Implementation_Learnings_from_Value_Chains_and_Regional_Blocs_2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=AfCFTA Implementation: Learnings from Value Chains and Regional Blocs |date=May 2026 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AfCFTA_Implementation_Learnings_from_Value_Chains_and_Regional_Blocs_2026.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2026afcfta, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{AfCFTA Implementation: Learnings from Value Chains and Regional Blocs}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AfCFTA_Implementation_Learnings_from_Value_Chains_and_Regional_Blocs_2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }