The African Continental Free Trade Area: Challenges and Possible Successes
| Autor | Victor H. Mlambo/Xolani Thusi/Sphephelo Zubane/Daniel N Mlambo |
| Cargo | University of Johannesburg/University of Zululand/University of Zululand/Tshwane University of Technology |
| Páginas | 75-106 |
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Latin American Journal of Trade Policy 12 (2022) - ISSN 079-9668 - Universidad de Chile
ABSTRACT
Free trade agreements have been known to have nu-
merous benets, especially from an economic point of
view, however, it has been argued that for them to be
successful, they ought to be complemented by a conducive
socio-economic –and by extension political environment.
Regrettably, the African Continental Free Trade Area
agreement (AfCFTA) arrived at a time when Africa was
economically and politically unstable; conict and econo-
mic insecurity have exacerbated the lack of development
in the contintent. As a result of the above, this paper
seeks to understand how African states will navigate their
various economic and, by extension, political interests in
the hope of contributing to the success of the AfCFTA.
Finally, the paper will answer whether Africa is ready
for a free trade agreement by employing a qualitative
75
The African Continental Free Trade Area:
Challenges and Possible Successes
Victor H. Mlambo*
Xolani Thusi**
Sphephelo Patrick Zubane***
Daniel N. Mlambo****
School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, University of Jo-
hannesburg, South Africa. Email: halavico@yahoo.com. Received: September
09th, 2021; modicatons: March 30th 2022; accepted: April 15st 2022.
Department of Public Administration, University of Zululand, South Africa.
E-mail: xolanithusi@yahoo.com.
Department of History, University of Zululand, South Africa.. E-mail: zubane-
sphephelo@yahoo.com.
Department of Public Management, Tshwane University of Technology, South
Africa E-mail: Mlambo1@ymail.com.
*
**
***
****
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Latin American Journal of Trade Policy 12 (2022) - Universidad de Chile
research approach and reviewing current literature.
Keywords: Trade – Development – Africa – Socio-eco-
nomic.
RESUMEN
Se sabe que los acuerdos de libre comercio tienen nu-
merosos benecios, especialmente desde un punto de
vista económico; sin embargo, se ha argumentado que
para que tengan éxito, deben complementarse con un
entorno propicio tanto a nivel socioeconómico y, por
extensión, político. Lamentablemente, el acuerdo del Área
de Libre Comercio Continental Africana (AfCFTA) llegó
en un momento en que África era inestable económica
y políticamente; el conicto y la inseguridad económica
han exacerbado la falta de desarrollo en el continente.
Como resultado de lo anterior, este documento busca
comprender cómo los Estados africanos navegarán sus
diversos intereses económicos y políticos con la esperanza
de contribuir al éxito del AfCFTA. Finalmente, el docu-
mento responderá si África está lista para un acuerdo de
libre comercio empleando un enfoque de investigación
cualitativa y revisando la literatura actual.
Palabras claves: Comercio – Desarrollo – África – So-
cioeconómico.
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Victor H. Mlambo, Xolani Thusi, Sphephelo Patrick Zubane & Daniel N. Mlambo
The African Continental Free Trade Area: Challenges and Possible Successes
INTRODUCTION
The pursuit of continuous and all-encompassing socioe-
conomic growth has seen nations participate in several forms
of integration activities, ranging from economic, political, and,
by extension, social. Nonetheless, Wonnacott (1996) argued
that such initiatives (in the form of free trade agreements and
market liberalization) have become synonymous within the de-
veloped world where there are mechanisms, such as the political
will and the resources to ensure those initiatives are not only
implemented but are also protected by constitutionalism and
the principles of good governance. According to Zeiler (1998),
the end of the Cold War provided countries with opportunities
to spur development and one key initiative that was seen as
important in realizing this was free trade, in which barriers and
regulations hindering trade within regions should be removed
and replaced by the free ow of goods and resources, which was
seen as critical for developing regions and the need to ensure
inclusive growth.
The continent is heavily reliant on imports as well as on
commodity-based natural resource exports to meet its energy
and food needs. Africa represented 2.8 percent of global trade
volume in 2019, with intraregional trade accounting for 14.4
percent of overall continental trade volume in 2019. Countries
in Africa have not yet established successful strategies for pro-
moting long-term development and raising living standards in
their own countries (UNCTAD, 2021). The lack of intra-regional
trade has prevented African countries from fully exploiting the
synergies and complementarities of their economies and reaping
the benets that greater market integration would have provi-
ded (such as increased income and employment opportunities)
(Odularu & Adekunle, 2017).
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