Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo
Zimpapers Business Hub
GOVERNMENTS across Africa must institutionalise partnerships with the private sector if the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is to deliver real results, a leading business lobby group has said.
In its July newsletter, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) said business must be at the center of trade policy.
ZNCC said the position was taken following a panel discussion themed “The Road Ahead for AfCFTA Implementation” at the chamber’s annual congress in Victoria Falls recently.
The experts advocated for permanent, institutionalised engagement between governments and the private sector, arguing that business organisations must play a central role in identifying barriers to trade and informing policy reforms.
The call comes as African countries have started implementing AfCFTA protocols aimed at creating a single market of 1,4 billion people.
Experts argued that without structured, ongoing dialogue, governments risk designing policies in isolation from the realities faced by exporters, manufacturers and traders on the ground.
The position was echoed in broader calls during the session for practical solutions to make AfCFTA work.
ZNCC said Zimbabwe’s priority should be on strengthening domestic production, improving standards compliance and investing in technology and innovation.
It noted that long-term success depends on sustained investments in skills, technology, research and productivity enhancement.
They added that AfCFTA requires stronger institutional frameworks capable of supporting investment, cross-border value chains and economic development planning and advanced the idea of professionalising economic development across the region through common standards, competencies and governance frameworks.
“Mr Challa Getachew of UNDP called for deliberate interventions aimed at improving productive capacity, strengthening market linkages and expanding access to tailored financing solutions,” reads the newsletter.
The AfCFTA, which brings together 54 African countries into a single market for goods and services, is widely regarded as one of the most ambitious integration projects globally, with the potential to significantly reshape Africa’s economic landscape by boosting intra-African trade, strengthening value chains and accelerating industrial development.
