AfCFTA: trade, protocols and integration of the African market
What is the AfCFTA, the continental free trade area
The AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) is a trade agreement signed in Kigali in March 2018 and, since then, by 54 of the 55 African Union member states. A flagship project of Agenda 2063, it aims to remove barriers to trade on the continent progressively and to create a single market for goods and services, in order to boost intra-African trade.
Entry into force and timetable of the AfCFTA
The agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019, once the required number of ratifications had been reached. Trading under the agreement began on 1 January 2021. About fifty states have now ratified it, making it one of the largest free trade areas in the world by number of participating countries.
The stated objective is full liberalisation of the market by 2030. Each state submits tariff offers, with different timetables depending on its level of development. More than 12,000 certificates of origin had been issued and notified to the Secretariat by March 2026.
AfCFTA protocols: goods, services, investment
The agreement is built on protocols. The first cover trade in goods, trade in services and dispute settlement. They are followed by texts on investment, intellectual property and digital trade, which extend the area beyond customs duties.
The African Union Assembly meeting in February 2026 adopted a set of annexes to the protocol on intellectual property rights. One annex to the protocol on investment and another to the protocol on intellectual property remain under negotiation. The Assembly also decided to begin negotiating a protocol on industrial policy and development. The Council of Ministers has meanwhile advanced a ministerial regulation on preferential market access for women and young people in trade.
Governance: Council of Ministers and Secretariat in Accra
The AfCFTA Secretariat is based in Accra, Ghana, under Secretary-General Wamkele Mene. It is an autonomous body of the African Union, responsible for coordinating implementation, supporting negotiations and monitoring states' commitments. The Council of Ministers responsible for trade oversees implementation; at its 18th session, held in Abuja, Nigeria succeeded Egypt as chair of the Bureau.
The African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government remains the supreme body that adopts the protocols and their annexes.
Tools for implementing trade
Several instruments accompany the agreement: the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which facilitates the settlement of transactions in local currencies, monitoring of non-tariff barriers, the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, the Automotive Fund and an electronic tariff book that brings together the applicable duties.
For French-speaking Africa, the AfCFTA adds to existing groupings such as WAEMU, CEMAC or ECOWAS without replacing them: regional customs unions remain the building blocks of continental integration.