Primer for the AfCFTA country business index(ACBI) : summary results for Angola, Cote D'Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Africa

Abstract

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement officially commenced operationalization a year ago, forming the cornerstone of trade integration in Africa. The objective of the AfCFTA encompasses the creation of a single continental market and aims to enhance competitiveness at the enterprise level. From a business perspective, the AfCFTA is a tool to help African businesses benefit from the great opportunities that our growing continent can offer on both the supply and demand sides. A key focus of the ACBI is to understand business perceptions of trading under the free trade agreements (FTAs) already in force across African countries. By focusing explicitly on the constraints and challenges faced by private business, the ACBI is a tool through which key private sector challenges on cross-border activity can be distilled and identified through the following main objectives: Measure the extent of implementation of broader African integration and trade related developments, based on private sector views. Understand business perceptions of trading under the free trade agreements (FTAs) already in force across African countries; Assess the perceived impact of the AfCFTA on the private sector’s ability to trade and invest across African borders, once the AfCFTA is operationalised.