Supporting MSME make the most of the AfCFTA
CBC is the recognised business member organisation, established as a private sector institution of COMESA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a historic opportunity for continental integration, but its transformative potential depends fundamentally on how effectively complex trade legislation translates into actionable business strategies. Recent developments across French-speaking Africa demonstrate how targeted capacity building and strategic partnerships are creating pathways for businesses to navigate rules of origin requirements and unlock continental trade opportunities.
Guillaume Gérout Suominen emphasises the critical distinction between awareness and implementation.
"For manufacturers, this means they must assess whether adjusting their supply chains to comply with AfCFTA's rules is beneficial; in some cases, compliance costs might outweigh the advantages of reduced tariffs."
This reality underscores why technical training must be coupled with strategic business guidance.
The collaborative approach demonstrated through these initiatives—combining WCO technical expertise, COMESA Business Council’s coordination, EU-TAF support, and local CBC members’ knowledge—provides a scalable model for continental implementation. Unlike government agencies or international organisations, chambers of commerce maintain direct relationships with local enterprises and understand market dynamics at the grassroots level, making them ideal facilitators for translating complex legislation into concrete business strategies.
AfCFTA's ambitious scope - creating a common market of 1.3 billion people across 54 African Union member states - promises remarkable outcomes: a potential $450 billion income boost for Africa by 2035 and the prospect of lifting 30 million people out of extreme poverty. However, these benefits hinge on businesses' ability to effectively navigate the rules of origin requirements.
The textile sector exemplifies these challenges, facing difficulties due to limited local raw materials and insufficient industrial capacity. Through intensive brainstorming and capacity-building exercises, workshops help participants develop strategies for supporting their members' engagement with these realities, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to practical problem-solving.
The partnership's focus on chambers of commerce as key multipliers in the AfCFTA implementation process creates ripple effects, extending technical knowledge to hundreds of businesses across French-speaking Africa. Participants in recent workshops developed practical tools and approaches to support their members' engagement with AfCFTA rules of origin requirements, thereby transforming individual training investments into regional capacity building.
