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However, experts caution against high expectations of the TFTA because of existing hurdles that may slow down its implementation. For example, countries in the EAC, such as Kenya and Uganda, have the most advanced customs union, which they will be expected to deploy to increase the pace and depth of integration. Angola, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia could also play key roles in fostering the region’s economy as they are expected to absorb a large share of the region’s exports while supplying cheaper inputs such as electricity, petroleum, gas and other raw materials.Įven as the bigger economies take advantage of the opportunity of an expanded and liberalized market, less advanced economies could also benefit from the TFTA.

South Africa and Egypt, two of Africa’s biggest economies in terms of manufacturing and services, are the main forces driving the TFTA, followed by Kenya and Mauritius. The proportion in Europe and Asia, by contrast, is close to 60%. Trade between African countries, as a share of the continent’s total trade has hovered at 10-12% for decades, but some experts argue that the actual figure is much more than that because a big part of the continent’s trade is conducted informally and at times across porous borders where it’s not recorded. “This would in turn create more jobs and catalyze technology transfer.” “It has the potential to increase economies of scale through integration, will increase demand for the region’s goods and services and make the region more attractive to foreign investments,” says Jason Kapkirwok, senior director of TradeMark East Africa, an African non-profit company that supports trade growth in East Africa.

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The benefits of the free trade area are numerous.

This is what is giving us resilience,” he told Africa Renewal in an interview.

“We have improved governance, and the very fact that we withstood the global financial crisis of 2008 attest to sound macroeconomic policies. “The conditions have never been better,” says Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, the secretary-general of COMESA. The Abuja Treaty of 1995 signed by 51 African countries mandates all regional economic communities to join the group by 2017 in anticipation of an African Economic Community by 2028. For now, these blocs are not participating in this new initiative for political and economic reasons. Non-participating economic blocs include the Arab Maghreb Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States. When implemented, the free trade area will constitute about half of Africa’s GDP, half of its population and will cover a combined landmass of 17 million square kilometres, about the size of Russia.Īt the moment, however, only three of Africa’s eight regional economic communities are participating in the TFTA.

The participating countries will benefit from liberalized intra-regional trade, which is expected to boost the flow of goods and services. Under this agreement, all the 26 countries, with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of about $1.3 trillion and a population of 565 million, will merge into a common market and eliminate tariff lines and trade barriers.

The talks finally bore fruit on 10 June 2015 when 26 African countries signed the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement in Cairo, Egypt. For several years, experts from the three largest trading blocs in Africa - the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) - were locked in intense negotiations over a free trade agreement whose aim is to bring about a unified and liberalized single market.

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