GABORONE — At an extraordinary summit of the Assembly on the African Continental Free Trade Area last weekend, it was confirmed that African countries will be able to start trading under the AfCFTA agreement on Jan. 1 — six months later than initially planned, due to COVID-19.
Speaking at the summit, African Union Chairperson and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described it as “one of the most significant milestones in the continental integration project.”
But experts warn that it is just a first step and that achieving the goals set out under the agreement will depend on proper implementation at the national level.