Increasing intra-African trade: Can the African Continental Free Trade Area be the game changer?

Volume editor

Wilma Viviers

Volume editor

Martin Cameron

Volume editor

Leila Baghdadi

Synopsis

This book is the third volume in a forward-looking series on the future of international trade and development, and it addresses one of the most pressing questions confronting Africa today: How to convert continental integration from political ambition into sustained, measurable economic outcomes.

Moving beyond a legal or institutional reading of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), this book focuses on the real drivers of trade performance. It explores the structural challenges shaping intra-African trade, the constraints that continue to fragment markets and the strategic choices required to expand viable export activity across the continent. In doing so, it positions the AfCFTA as a catalyst for deeper economic transformation, industrialisation and resilience rather than merely a preferential trade agreement.

A defining strength of the book is its rigorous, data-driven approach to identifying export opportunities. By applying a refined TRADE-DSM (Decision Support Model) in combination with the product space approach, the analysis provides a systematic method for translating the AfCFTA’s objectives into concrete, actionable priorities. This integrated methodology is sensitive to the realities of developing and landlocked economies, accommodates both demand- and supply-side considerations, and incorporates intensive and extensive margin strategies. The result is a practical roadmap for export diversification that bridges the gap between academic analysis and policy implementation.

The book grounds its conceptual frameworks in carefully selected case studies, including Rwanda, South Africa, Tunisia and the Economic Community of Central African States. These cases illustrate how targeted strategies can unlock trade potential within Africa and beyond, while also exposing persistent barriers such as logistics costs, infrastructure gaps, tariff and non-tariff measures, and limited productive capacity. Rather than treating these constraints as abstract challenges, the book proposes realistic, context-specific responses aligned with the broader goals of sustainable development.

Combining analytical depth with strong policy relevance, this volume will resonate with researchers in international trade and development economics, policymakers and trade officials tasked with implementing the AfCFTA, and private-sector decision-makers seeking to navigate Africa’s evolving trade environment. It offers both a substantive contribution to the literature and a practical guide for those committed to advancing intra-African trade in a rapidly changing global economy.

Chapters

Preface

Wilma Viviers, Martin Cameron, Leila Baghdadi
Chapter 1
Harnessing the African Continental Free Trade Area: Identifying export opportunities to boost intra-Africa trade

Marie-Luc Kühn, Martin Cameron, Wilma Viviers
Chapter 2
TRADE-DSM refinements for landlocked countries

Martin Cameron, Wilma Viviers
Chapter 3
Export diversification: The case of a landlocked country in Africa, Rwanda

Martin Cameron, Wilma Viviers
Chapter 4
Export diversification: The case of Tunisia, with a focus on the African Continental Free Trade Area

Leila Baghdadi, Sonia Ben Kheder, Mehdi Ben Slimane, Martin Cameron, Wilma Viviers
Chapter 5
Export diversification: The case of South Africa, with a focus on the African Continental Free Trade Area

Lorainne Ferreira, Wilma Viviers, Martin Cameron
Chapter 6
Export diversification: The case of north and south – bilateral opportunities for South Africa and Tunisia

Wilma Viviers, Martin Cameron, Leila Baghdadi
Chapter 7
Industrialisation of regional economic communities: Applying the TRADE-DSM approach to Economic Community of Central African States

Martin Cameron, Jean Luc Namegabe Mastaki, Caitlyn Carrico
Chapter 8
Expanding Tunisia’s export horizons: Leveraging the TRADE-DSM and product space approaches

Amal Medini, Leila Baghdadi, Martin Cameron, Wilma Viviers
Chapter 9
Strategic considerations for the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area

Martin Cameron, Wilma Viviers, Ali Parry

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Series

The future of international trade and development

Print ISSN

2789-7125

Details about the available publication format: PDF

PDF

ISBN-13 (15)

978-1-997449-23-2

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ISBN-13 (15)

978-1-997449-21-8

Physical Dimensions

170mm x 244mm