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African Continental Free Trade Area: Scaling Value Chains Across Borders

Pan-African enterprises converged in New York from September 20 to 21st, 2026, to map out strategies to position local industries as key drivers of international trade.

F or decades, the conti­ nent’s commercial foot­ print has been largely defined by the export of raw commodities and a heavy reliance on external supply chains. However, in the coming days, a new paradigm might take root with African businesses positioning them­ selves as strategic architects of global commerce. At the centre of this transformation is the drive behind the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Designed to unify a fragmented landscape of 1.3 billion consumers into a single commercial bloc, the AfCFTA aims to eliminate tariff barriers, streamline customs procedures, and incentivize in­ tra-continental value chains. By creating a frictionless internal market, the initiative provides local businesses with the scale needed to lower production costs, attract structural invest­ ment, and build cross-border industrial networks. This evolution took centre stage at the 5th Unstoppable Africa summit, held in New York under the banner of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI). Fra­ med by the theme “Powering Business, Scaling Economies, Shaping the Future,” the gathe­ ring brought together global leaders including UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, AU commission chairperson Mah­ moud Ali Youssouf, alongside major industrial players like Aliko Dangote, corporate executives, and international investors to evaluate how African indus­ trial capacity can be rapidly expanded. Beyond h...

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