According to the African Trade Report released by Afreximbank, Africa’s merchandise trade grew by 6.1% to reach approximately 1 500 milliards de dollars in 2025, driven by a continental growth rate of 4,5 % that outpaced global averages. Global geopolitical shifts, supply chain vulnerabilities, and trade fragmentation are creating a strategic opening for African industrialization and a stronger push for regional integration.
Global Fragmentation Creates New Industrial Opportunities
According to Afreximbank, long-standing geopolitical tensions are reshaping international commerce. Ongoing trade friction between the United States and China, disruptions in the Red Sea, and rising protectionism are pushing global corporations to diversify their supply chains. These shifts open a unique window for Africa to attract manufacturing investments and green industrialization through regionalization and friend-shoring strategies.
To capture this momentum, the continent must sharpen its competitive edge. Total continental merchandise trade reached 1 500 milliards de dollars in 2025, while intra-African trade rose by 5,5 %, à 213,8 milliards de dollars, according to the report. Economic output across the continent expanded by 4,5 % in 2025, topping the global growth rate and signaling a shift from external shock resilience to industrial upgrading.
Intra-African Trade Concentration and Regional Champions
While the African Continental Free Trade Area aims to unify the continent’s markets, ten nations currently account for près de 60 % du commerce intra-africain, according to Afreximbank data. South Africa leads the continent with 19,2 % du total continental, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo at 6,74 % and Côte d’Ivoire at 4,83 %. Uganda, Morocco, Egypt, Zambia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Namibia round out the top ten.
Southern Africa holds the largest share of untapped trade potential on the continent, particularly in sectors like electrical equipment, vehicles, chemicals, and metals. Afreximbank notes that the ten most promising product categories represent 43,6 milliards de dollars de potentiel commercial supplémentaire sur le continent.
The Strategic Shift of the AfCFTA and Regional Payment Systems
In a volatile global economy, the African Continental Free Trade Area functions as an economic necessity rather than a political aspiration, according to Afreximbank. Lowering tariff barriers, harmonizing trade standards, and streamlining customs procedures help insulate the continent from shocks originating in European, Asian, and North American markets.
Afreximbank highlights the expanding role of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, known as PAPSS. The system allows central banks across Africa to execute cross-border settlements in local currencies, which cuts transaction costs and lowers reliance on the U.S. dollar.
Moving Beyond Raw Commodities Through Local Transformation
Economic growth built entirely on raw commodity exports leaves the continent vulnerable to global price swings. According to the Afreximbank report, African economies must accelerate local value addition to capture more wealth from sectors like cocoa, critical minerals, agro-processing, petrochemicals, and electric vehicle batteries.
Regional cooperation models—such as the partnership between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe centered on strategic minerals, or the development of West African chocolate manufacturing—demonstrate how resource-rich nations can transition from raw extraction to finished goods.
Bridging the Trade Finance Gap
Despite strong macroeconomic indicators, a persistent finance gap limits the export capabilities of African enterprises. Afreximbank reports that the continent’s trade finance deficit reached 74 milliards de dollars en 2025, with annual intra-African trade financing needs evaluated entre 80 et 120 milliards de dollars.
Development finance institutions are under pressure to provide risk guarantees, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and fund logistics infrastructure. Afreximbank reported 17,5 milliards de dollars ont ainsi été décaissés en 2024, setting a target to scale intra-African trade financing to 40 milliards de dollars dès cette année.