Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka, Zimpapers Politics Hub
AS we celebrate Africa Day, a time to reflect on the continent’s unity, potential, and challenges, this pivotal moment demands more than passive observation.
This annual commemoration reminds us of the hard-won independence and the ongoing pursuit of Pan-Africanism, urging collective action in the face of global shifts.
The intensifying trade war between the United States and China, marked by sweeping US tariffs, has global ripple effects extending far beyond Washington and Beijing. It casts a long shadow over Africa and disrupts its industrial ambitions.
This external pressure underscores the importance of Africa Day’s ideals: collaboration, integration, self-determination, and charting a prosperous, independent future for the continent.
Therefore, to navigate this new global order, which presents both challenges and opportunities, Africa must strategically adapt to avoid becoming a casualty in the industrial rivalry between these global powers.
In his article titled: “The US-China trade war and Africa’s manufacturing crossroads,” Dr Marvellous Ngundu, a Research Consultant for the African Futures and Innovation (AFI) Programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS)- (AFI-ISS) highlights that the US-China trade war is not just a bilateral spat but it reshapes global trade, production, and power, posing both peril and promise for Africa.
“Africa’s exposure stems from two enduring vulnerabilities: a narrow and underdeveloped industrial base as well as weak coordination of trade and industrial policies. Without decisive intervention, the continent could find itself locked into a neo-mercantilist structure, dependent on imported consumer goods and stripped of productive capacity.
“To reverse this trajectory, African governments must urgently adopt coherent and ambitious industrial policies that go beyond rhetoric.
“At the continental level, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a unique opportunity to build regional value chains, expand intra-African trade and reduce reliance on external markets,” observed Dr Ngundu.
Dr Ngundu’s analysis underscores the urgent need for robust trade integration in Africa amidst global economic shifts.
To thrive, Africa must adopt sustainable economic frameworks, prioritise regional cooperation, and champion African-oriented institutions aligned with its development goals.
The primary focus must be strengthening Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs), notably the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), as fundamental building blocks for deeper regional integration and robust economic cooperation.
These bodies are crucial for policy harmonisation, trade liberalisation, joint infrastructure development, and the free movement of people and capital. Both Sadc and Comesa are implementing vital regional integration programmes for economic stability and growth.
Sadc’s integrated approach to regional development
Sadc actively pursues regional integration through programmes countering global economic challenges. The Sadc Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) prioritises essential infrastructure.
The Sadc Trade and Transit Facilitation Project aims to simplify customs. The Support to Industrialisation and Productive Sectors (SIPS) programme and regional value chain development enhance industrial capacity. As a Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) partner with Comesa and EAC, Sadc contributes to a larger integrated market.
Recent energy MoUs among Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe exemplify strengthened regional integration within Sadc, fostering energy security and interconnectedness.
Mozambique’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Mr Estevão Pale stated, “These agreements go beyond technical cooperation; they reflect a shared vision of interdependence and mutual progress… Mozambique is consolidating its role as a strategic energy corridor in the Sadc region, contributing to regional energy security and improving our trade balance through energy exports.”
This proactive energy security approach strengthens Sadc interconnectedness and lays the groundwork for economic resilience through cross-border infrastructure investment, pooling resources and expertise for collective energy security, a cornerstone of deeper regional integration and sustained economic growth.
Comesa’s comprehensive integration initiatives
Similarly, Comesa implements numerous regional integration programmes for Africa’s economic stability and growth.
The Comesa-EAC-Sadc TFTA aims to establish a substantial single market. Trade facilitation programmes like harmonised road transit charges and One-Stop Border Posts ease goods movement.
A prime example of this is the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post, which significantly fosters regional integration by streamlining customs and immigration procedures, reducing transit times, and ultimately boosting cross-border trade between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Comesa Clearing House (CCH) and REPSS promote local currency use in trade.
Comesa strategically focuses on industrialisation, value chain development, and infrastructure in energy and ICT.
The collaborative efforts of Sadc and Comesa, particularly through the TFTA, are vital for policy harmonisation and a seamlessly integrated market in Eastern and Southern Africa, providing a stronger response to global economic uncertainties and promoting self-reliance.
Speaking recently in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), where Comesa had a strong presence to disseminate trade information, Comesa secretariat representative Ms Bonakele Ndzinisa emphasised the central role of regional organisations like Sadc and Comesa in coordinating policies for sustainable economic integration, highlighting the significance of the AfCFTA and TFTA in an era of trade turbulence.
She spoke at the Connect Africa Symposium during a panel discussion on Strengthening Regional Frameworks for Sustainable Development and Economic Integration, emphasising the critical importance of such collaboration in an era marked by global trade turbulence and the resurgence of protectionism.
“Regional economic communities are at the heart of crafting policies that foster a conducive environment for regional integration.
“This encompasses not just economic aspects but also crucial areas like infrastructure, education, health, and the free movement of people within our member states,” Ms Ndzinisa said, acknowledging the complexities of harmonising national policies due to varying development levels.
Despite challenges, she highlighted Comesa’s progress in energy policy frameworks, rules of origin protocols, and simplified trade regimes.
On infrastructure, she cited the upgraded Chirundu One-Stop Border Post as a successful regional collaboration that directly facilitates trade and boosts economic activity between neighbouring countries.
Ms Ndzinisa also noted Comesa’s promotion of trade facilitation initiatives aligned with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its focus on industrialisation and technology transfer to boost intra-Africa trade and regional value chains.
Strengthening intra-African trade through regional blocs: A strategic imperative
Afreximbank’s Client Relationship Manager for Southern Africa, Dr Stanley Sachikonye, affirmed that continental organisations like Sadc and Comesa are vital anchors for Africa’s economic stability amidst global trade turbulence.
“The path to unlocking Africa’s vast economic potential and achieving sustainable development lies firmly in the strengthening of regional integration through continental organisations like Sadc and Comesa
“The specter of trade wars and the imposition of tariffs… exposed the vulnerability of African economies heavily reliant on external markets.
“As global supply chains became disrupted and trade relationships strained, the need for robust intra-African trade became starkly apparent,” said
Dr Sachikonye emphasising that strengthening regional integration is a strategic imperative against external economic pressures.
Dr Sachikonye highlighted Africa’s paradox of abundant resources yet low global trade contribution, with minimal intra-African trade compared to the EU and Asia.
He identified poor infrastructure, lack of information, and low manufacturing capacity as impediments, lauding Comesa’s transit guarantee scheme as a successful example of regional cooperation dismantling trade barriers.
He reiterated that the collective strength and harmonised policies of RECs are indispensable for meaningful regional integration, improving infrastructure, facilitating trade, and attracting investment for a prosperous future.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira also identified AfCFTA as “the best pathway we can use to reduce dependence on unfavourable global markets and enhance resilience through intra-Africa trade,” stressing that a trade-connected Africa unlocks opportunities for greater productivity and prosperity, illustrated by Zimbabwe’s trade patterns with countries like South Africa, Mozambique, the UAE, and China.
He emphasised Africa’s need to assert sovereignty and take ownership of its development through well-structured intra-African trade relations.
“In designing and implementing diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, Africa has to assert itself first as a sovereign and must take responsibility for its development by being itself, thinking for itself, being conscious of its endowments and potential, and embracing the mentality that Africa is built by a people through an infrastructure of well-structured trade relations within itself and the rest of the world,” he said.
Reinforcing this, Mohammed Akoojee, CEO and Managing Director of DP World sub-Saharan Africa, a global port operator and logistics company within the sub-Saharan African region stated that Africa’s commitment to regional integration through the AfCFTA and proactive global engagement is a viable strategy for sustainable growth, contingent on sustained investment in infrastructure, education, and capacity building to maximise the benefits of increased intra-continental trade facilitated by the AfCFTA.
The path forward: Overcoming barriers to integration
The path forward for Africa involves overcoming barriers to integration, and to this end, continental organisations like Sadc and Comesa are indispensable in driving this agenda amidst global uncertainties, providing crucial frameworks for coordinating trade policies and fostering economic integration.
However, while the AfCFTA holds promise, persistent barriers like logistical issues and inadequate infrastructure hinder the free flow of goods.
For Sadc and Comesa to effectively champion AfCFTA goals and strengthen regional resilience, they must prioritise infrastructure development and harmonise regulatory frameworks, tax policies, and customs procedures to create stable trading environments within Africa, reducing reliance on volatile external markets.
