Africa must strengthen its capacity to provide efficient payment systems, modern borders and reliable infrastructure if businesses are to fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, has said.
Mene made the remarks during a fireside conversation with George Asamani, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the Project Management Institute (PMI), at PMI’s Global Summit Series in Cape Town.
Speaking under the summit theme, “Africa Delivers M.O.R.E. Together,” Mene outlined the practical measures needed to translate continental trade commitments into easier access to markets.
He identified the alignment of national policies, modernisation of customs systems and the expansion of cross-border payments in local currencies as key priorities.
Mene also called on professionals working in infrastructure, construction, agriculture, services and customs to contribute their expertise towards strengthening economic connections across the continent.
“We all have a contribution to creating a single integrated market,” Mene said.
Reducing the cost of cross-border trade
Mene illustrated the challenges created by fragmented financial systems using a hypothetical transaction between businesses in Ghana and Kenya.
He explained that despite both businesses operating within Africa, they may have to convert their local currencies into a third currency, typically the US dollar, to complete a transaction.
He estimated that currency conversion costs associated with such transactions could amount to approximately US$5 billion annually across the continent.
Mene pointed to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), developed by Afreximbank in collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat, as one practical response to the challenge.
PAPSS enables cross-border payments in African currencies, reducing the need for businesses to rely on third currencies and helping to lower some of the costs associated with intra-African trade.
The example, Mene said, demonstrated why the practical systems supporting the AfCFTA are as important as the agreement itself.
Customs and policy alignment
He noted that effective cross-border trade also requires customs authorities to implement agreed rules consistently and governments to align domestic policies with continental commitments.
George Asamani linked these requirements to the skills needed to manage complex programmes involving multiple institutions and countries.
“A continental agreement becomes meaningful when a business can use it,” Asamani said.
“That depends on people who can coordinate institutions, manage risk, deliver reliable systems and keep the intended benefit in view. Project management provides the discipline to carry a policy commitment through to a service that businesses can use.”
Safeguards for domestic industries
Mene also addressed concerns over the potential impact of trade liberalisation on domestic industries.
He said the AfCFTA framework includes safeguards to protect vulnerable sectors and that adjustment support could help businesses facing disruption as markets become more open.
“We have rules that protect infant industries in a country,” he said.
He stressed the importance of assessing potential economic losses and supporting affected businesses, while combining domestic reforms with continental cooperation to help African companies compete in larger markets.
Infrastructure and digital trade
Infrastructure, Mene said, remains central to achieving the objectives of the AfCFTA.
He called for greater attention to project preparation and trade-related infrastructure, alongside increased investment in digital systems.
He highlighted the Digital Trade Protocol as an important framework for creating conditions for investment in emerging technologies and data centres.
Mene said project preparation should take into account the connections between physical infrastructure, customs processes, digital services and the institutions responsible for operating them.
For project professionals, he noted, the challenge goes beyond delivering individual assets. Payment platforms, transport networks and customs systems must be capable of working effectively across institutional and national boundaries.
“Africa needs more project professionals equipped to deliver across these boundaries,” Asamani added.
“Investing in their capabilities strengthens our ability to build infrastructure, implement digital systems and make public institutions more effective. It also gives African talent a greater role in delivering the projects that will shape the continent’s future.”
The discussion linked Africa’s talent development agenda to the practical demands of regional integration, with professionals expected to help governments and institutions translate shared objectives into coordinated projects across sectors and countries.
For Mene, the ultimate measure of the AfCFTA will be whether businesses can access new African markets at lower cost and with less administrative burden.
The ability to deliver efficient payment systems, border processes, infrastructure and digital services will therefore be critical to determining how effectively continental integration translates into greater commercial opportunities for African businesses.
