Editorial – Opportunities

Africa has a long-term ambition: to build an integrated market capable of competing globally. Morocco, host of the second edition of the AfCFTA Forum in Marrakech, which took place on December 11 and 12, plays a key role in this endeavor. The country is relying on transformational projects to strengthen the continent’s economic and logistical foundations.
According to projections, the effective implementation of the zone through the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers would lead to a 52% increase in intra-African trade by 2035. This movement would be part of the global reorganization of global value chains, in which Africa, home to 11 of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies, occupies a strategic position.
However, the major challenge is no longer the reduction of customs duties. The fluidity of trade is the key to unlocking the potential of the AfCFTA. This ability to cross borders safely and without excessive red tape is a prerequisite for real integration. The latter is not just a matter of increasing export volumes. Above all, it means moving upmarket, developing complex value chains, and integrating processed products, digital services, and innovations.
Commercial risk, particularly payment default, continues to hold back too many SMEs. To remedy this, Morocco recently launched a public export insurance scheme aimed at securing transactions in the most exposed markets, paving the way for more stable trade.
Today, African integration goes beyond formal treaties alone. True free trade begins where “ invisible barriers ” fall, to use the expression of the president of Asmex. Those that cannot be seen, but which are enough to hold back billions of opportunities.