The role of Intellectual Property rights in the success of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA)
Article compiled by Tanaka Kachara, Associate at Zimbabwean member firm, Scanlen & Holderness. What is the African Continental Free Trade Agreement? The AfCFTA is the world’s largest free trade agreement[1] bringing together the fifty-five countries which make up the African Union[2]. For purposes of completion, a free-trade agreement is defined as an arrangement between two […]
Africa well positioned to benefit from global green mineral boom
Africa is home to some 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, 8% of its natural gas reserves, and 12% of its oil reserves, according to the United Nations. It also has 40% of the world’s gold, up to 90% of its chromium and platinum, and the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium in […]
LEX Africa examines the progress of the AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is in it’s the second year of operation as Africa’s biggest trading platform. Expectations are high and pressure from African ministers may have provided the AfCFTA with much-need impetus. The AfCFTA topped the agenda at the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, […]
The role of the “rule of law” in the implementation of the Agreement for the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Article by: Fidelis Manyuchi Senior Associate, Scanlen & Holderness, Zimbabwe The Agreement forming the African Free Trade Area came into force on the 30th of May 2019 and was launched on the 1st of January 2021. The parties to the agreement are the member states of the African Union which have come together to create […]
AfCFTA is a shining beacon on Africa Day!
The celebration of Africa Day on 25 May offers a chance to pause and survey the state of play on the continent after an extraordinary year. We look at some lessons learnt from the pandemic – with health and digital sectors to the fore. The global economy is expected to shrink by a massive 5.2% […]
One small step for Africa
On April 2 the Gambia’s parliament wrote itself into modern African history when it ratified the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). It became the 22nd country to do so, pushing the plan across an agreed threshold for it to “come into force”. This does not mean African countries will be dropping tariff and non-tariff […]