African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat

📢Call for Vendors!!📢 The AfCFTA Secretariat is excited to announce an opportunity for reputable and qualified companies to join our vendor pre-qualification list for upcoming tenders. We are seeking suppliers for a wide range of goods, services, non-consulting services, and works. If your company meets the criteria and is ready to contribute to the #AfCFTA’s mission, we encourage you to apply! Please consult the below document for guidelines and requirements, and submit the Vendor Registration Form through this link: https://lnkd.in/dwbtR8Xg. ‼️Please be advised that the AfCFTA Secretariat will not accept physical documents. All submissions must be made electronically via the dedicated Google Forms link.‼️

On the sidelines of MOSIP Connect 2025, @African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat hosted a closed-door Breakfast Session with digital identity authorities from across Africa to discuss the digital identity regime established by the #AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade and its role in enabling seamless cross-border trade.  The Session provided an opportunity for African digital identity authorities to share knowledge and best practices and foster collaboration to ensure a robust digital identity ecosystem in Africa. The participants commended the establishment of such a robust digital identity framework, which will enable secure verification, reduce fraud, streamline customs and cross-border payments, enhance access to socio-economic services, foster financial inclusion, and unlock the potential of intra-African trade. This is a key step toward integration! They emphasised the urgency and need to accelerate the implementation of the framework across all State Parties.   #AfCFTA #DigitalTrade #DigitalIdentity

Save the Date!  The future of digital trade in Africa is here! Be part of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum 2025, where innovation meets opportunity. 📍 Lusaka, Zambia 🗓 8–10 May 2025 Mark your calendar and stay tuned! #AfCFTADigitalTradeForum2025 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

As part of the #AfCFTA efforts to advance the ratification and entry into force of the Phase II protocols, a 5-day consultative engagement with legal and trade experts is being held to explore strategies for unifying the ratification process. This critical session aims to develop a forward-looking framework that addresses nuances, national interests, and potential concerns of Member States, particularly, portions of the protocol not initially engaged in earlier negotiations.  By fostering clarity and inclusivity, the discussions seek to prevent selective implementation and ensure full adoption of all protocols and annexes—strengthening the foundation of the #AfCFTA Agreement. #AfCFTA

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST  The AfCFTA Secretariat, invites firms to submit proposals for consultancy services: Development of a Framework for the AfCFTA Academy for Capacity Development – with a greater emphasis on women and youth. Preparation of Communication Materials to enhance effective trading under the AfCFTA, alongside capacity building, training, and retreats. These opportunities will support the implementation of the AfCFTA by strengthening capacity development and fostering inclusive trade across the continent. Deadline: March 19, 2025 More details: https://lnkd.in/e4vdqY6s #AfCFTA #ConsultancyOpportunities #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

Congratulations to the Republic of Zambia on gazetting its #AfCFTA Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions (PSTCs)! What it means to gazette or domesticate a trade commitment? A gazette officially announces new regulations that have come into force. It enhances transparency while ensuring that businesses, organizations and citizens are informed about the new regulations taking effect. It marks a significant step toward fully implementing the #AfCFTA Agreement. For traders, this brings clarity and certainty - confirming that Zambia will apply preferential tariff treatment to eligible goods upon importation, in alignment with its commitments under the #AfCFTA Agreement. #AfCFTA#Zambia

Further engagements continued last Friday at the #AfCFTA Trading Companies Roundtable Session, where discussions centered on leveraging the Trading companies for intra-African growth. Critical amongst the topics was how to strengthen partnerships to fully realise the impact of the #AfCfta agreement, from conversations to practical actualization.  Discussions saw establishing a continental maritime route, a tailor-made finance solution, market development, consistent engagement, a monitoring and evaluation system, among others, as practical ways to solve trade challenges facing the continent. By focusing on these practical solutions, the #AfCFTA aims to overcome existing trade challenges and unlock the full potential of intra-African trade, contributing to sustainable economic growth across the continent. #AfCFTA

“It is up to us to design the right facilities and engage development and financial institutions to drive impact. Our meeting today aims to start the conversation toward this effort” – H.E. Wamkele Mene. Ahead of the key engagements, H.E. Wamkele Mene met with trading companies for a strategic dialogue on addressing trade challenges while emphasising competitive industries, targeted investment facilitation, and stronger intra-African trade collaboration as key trade drivers for the continent. Key discussions focused on 1. Capacity building, policy dialogue & investment promotion for private sector. 2. Advancing from awareness to implementation and tangible development 3. Creating platforms to enhance access to markets & finance for businesses.  #AfCFTA#TradeinAfrica

The AfCFTA Trading Companies Roundtable began yesterday in Cape Town at the Westin Hotel, bringing together trading companies from across the continent to address key challenges in intra-African trade. This crucial engagement focuses on tackling trade barriers such as freight costs, taxes, levies, and logistical challenges among others, with open discussions led by the Trading companies on exploring practical solutions to enhance trade efficiency. With the private sector at the heart of Africa’s trade agenda, this round table is a key step toward deepening market integration, improving infrastructure and enhancing inter-continental trade. #AfCFTA#TradeinAfrica

Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 will host two key engagements advancing AfCFTA implementation and intra-African trade: 🔹 5-6 March 2025 – The 5th Coordination Meeting of Senior Officials of RECs on AfCFTA Implementation, bringing together Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to discuss their role in fostering a unified African market. 🔹 6-7 March 2025 – The AfCFTA Trading Companies Roundtable at CTICC, providing a platform for the private sector to engage in discussions on enhancing trade and business collaboration under the AfCFTA. With the private sector playing a central role in driving intra-African trade, this roundtable aims to facilitate dialogue on opportunities and strategies to deepen market integration. #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #AfCFTA