Cape Town, South Africa, 7 March 2025 – The AfCFTA Secretariat successfully concluded the Inaugural AfCFTA Trading Companies Roundtable in Cape Town,South Africa, bringing together trading companies from across the continent to address key challenges in intra-African trade.
The discussions focused on overcoming trade barriers such as freight costs, taxes, levies, and logistical constraints, with trading companies exploring practical solutions to enhance trade efficiency and access to financing.
As part of the engagement, H.E. Wamkele Mene met with trading companies for a strategic dialogue on advancing competitive industries, investment facilitation, and stronger intra-African trade collaboration. Key discussions centred on capacity building, policy dialogue, and investment promotion for the private sector, as well as the need to move from awareness to implementation and create platforms that enhance market access and financial support for businesses.
Key priorities highlighted during the meeting included:
- Accelerating support for trading companies to access the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund.
- Establishing robust trade finance solutions for SMEs.
- Developing AfCFTA trading documents to simplify and harmonise access to financial services.
The roundtable also underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships to translate the AfCFTA Agreement into tangible impact, with discussions on establishing a continental maritime route, developing tailored financial mechanisms, enhancing market development, and implementing a robust monitoring and evaluation system to address trade challenges.
The AfCFTA Secretariat remains committed to working with the private sector to unlock the full potential of intra-African trade and foster sustainable economic growth across the continent.
