The world’s largest trade bloc in terms of participating countries, is on the move. Years of over-reliance on exporting raw materials and importing finished goods have taught the continent a powerful lesson: to build wealth, Africa must start at home.
Today, under the AfCFTA, ‘Made in Africa’ tags are emerging on fashion in Johannesburg, coffee in Ethiopia and linen in Ghana. Africa is awakening to the agreement’s potential to boost the continent’s GDP by 10 percent and lift over 32 million from extreme poverty by 2043.
This, however, must not drown the persistent complexities threatening this dream. While goods move faster, the continent’s vital transport corridors, the arteries of trade, are still inept on capacity and efficiency.
A staggering 40 percent of African food spoils in transit. Small factories and businesses remain stifled by bureaucracy and a lack of grants to meet border standards.
But 2025 is proving to be a pivotal year. Africa is seeing progress. From the removal of import tariffs on 90 percent of goods, the nod to cross-border digital payments, and the liberalisation of key services, the AfCFTA is pushing forward with 50 member countries already having ratified the agreement as of December 2025.
Investments in projects like the Trans-African Highway Network promise to slash travel times by half and integrate 16 landlocked nations into global supply chains.
The rule is simple and powerful; under AfCFTA, import tariffs are reduced to zero on ‘Made-in-Africa’ goods over a period of 10 years for 90 percent of goods, 97 percent in 13 years and the final 3 percent remains under review for consideration.
This is the foundation for a trillion-dollar continental market. But for whom? A careful analysis reveals a startling truth.
At the heart of this potential boom are Africa’s 33 million smallholder farmers. They are the bedrock of the continent’s economy, providing over 70 percent of our food supply, employing two-thirds of the workforce, and contributing 35 percent of the continent’s GDP. Their success is inextricably linked to the success of the AfCFTA.
Yet, their livelihoods are under direct threat. The rise of industrial agriculture is pushing them to the edge. From achieving sustainability to complying to global trading regulations, producers have had to dig deeper to meet the ever-evolving needs of an ever-evolving market with limited resources and limited support.
This has further led to marginalization and even divestment from agriculture.
The continent’s agriculture market, projected to grow from $280 billion to $1 trillion by 2030, will only benefit a handful of producers while edging out the very farmers who feed us and the world.
The promise of the AfCFTA is not merely free-flowing trade, it is equitable and sustainable growth for all Africans. This is where organisations like Fairtrade Africa play a critical role.
By providing smallholder cooperatives with the tools to improve quality, achieve international certification, and navigate complex supply chains, we are directly building the capacity of farmers to meet AfCFTA standards and access these new continental markets.
To improve livelihoods, the five-year review window of the AfCFTA will need to start with the producers in mind. Focusing on improving trade through fairer practices that empower the producers.
The symbiotic relationship between the AfCFTA and Fairtrade Africa is immense. As Fairtrade Africa pushes for sustainable trade and supporting African producers, AfCFTA aims to create the conditions for increased trade and market access that Fairtrade producers can leverage.
Thus, for the AfCFTA to truly work for the people, the farmers need to be market-ready.
Fairtrade Africa’s work on the ground, from strengthening cooperatives to ensuring fairer prices and promoting sustainable practices, is essentially preparing the bedrock of Africa’s economy to not just participate in, but actually benefit from this integrated trade area.
Given that Fairtrade Africa has so far certified over 700 producer cooperatives and organisations on the continent, who in turn represent millions of smallholder farmers and their communities, the AfCFTA becomes even more important to create the larger market for African products.
Therefore, African governments and the AfCFTA secretariat must enact policies that actively protect smallholder farmers. There needs to be laws that safeguard this vital economic engine. Investments in infrastructure must be matched by investments in small-scale agriculture, ensuring they can meet standards and thrive in the new market we are building.
The path forward is not just about building highways for trade, but about ensuring the people who grow our food have the right to walk on it. At the end, AfCFTA’ s success will be measured not just by economic growth, but by inclusive and equitable growth. The continent’s success depends on it.
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