AfCFTA important, amid international commerce uncertainty say African CEOS in newly launched PAFTRAC report

As international commerce faces mounting headwinds; from rising tariffs and shrinking support to geopolitical tensions and fragile provide chains, African CEOs are doubling down on regional integration, digital innovation, and sustainability to future-proof the continent’s financial trajectory.

That’s the resounding message from the 2025 Africa CEO Commerce Survey, unveiled in Geneva on Thursday September 18, 2025, by the Pan-African Personal Sector Commerce and Funding Committee (PAFTRAC) in partnership with African Enterprise on the sidelines of the WTO Public Discussion board.

Drawing insights from over 2000 senior executives polled throughout 51 African nations, the fifth version of the report affords a sweeping view of how African companies are navigating a unstable international panorama.

The African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA) was hailed by 96% of respondents as important to safeguarding Africa’s commerce pursuits with intra-african commerce rebounding by over 12.4% in 2024. Greater than half of these surveyed rated the settlement as “extraordinarily necessary,” underscoring its position in constructing built-in markets and resilient worth chains throughout a continental market of 55 nations and about 1.4 billion individuals.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, Professor Patrick Utomi, Chairperson of PAFTRAC mentioned: “The AfCFTA affords a basis for constructing built-in markets and worth chains, whereas digitisation and sustainability present the means to future-proof African commerce.” 

The report paints an image of a continent not merely reacting to international shocks however one that’s proactively reshaping its commerce structure.

Additional insights from the report point out that over half of African corporations (53%) now use digital funds, marking a major leap in monetary inclusion and effectivity. The report, nonetheless, famous that challenges persist within the type of excessive transaction prices, unreliable web infrastructure, and cybersecurity dangers which proceed to hamper broader adoption.

An awesome 98% of CEOs recognized sustainability as an rising and defining theme. They affirmed that environmental and social duty are central to their future commerce methods. This indicators a shift towards inexperienced development, with African companies more and more aligning with international ESG requirements and climate-conscious practices.

Past conventional markets, the survey reveals a rising urge for food for brand new partnerships with African enterprise executives more and more seeking to the Gulf States and the Caribbean as rising commerce frontiers, reflecting a strategic pivot towards South-South cooperation and diversified alliances.

The timing of the report is vital. With the USA imposing new tariff regimes, Abroad Improvement Help (ODA) in decline, and donor support dealing with cuts, African corporations are being pressured to recalibrate. But, the survey means that relatively than retreating, they’re responding with resilience and strategic foresight.

Within the face of world fragmentation, African CEOs are betting on regional unity, digital transformation, and sustainable development to drive the continent’s commerce future. The 2025 Africa CEO Commerce Survey not solely captures this second of recalibration; it affirms Africa’s ambition to form a extra inclusive and equitable international financial system.

For policymakers, traders, and commerce companions, the message is obvious: Africa is just not ready for the world to stabilize. It’s constructing its personal path ahead.