AfCFTA Secretariat, Burundi to Develop Roadmap to Accelerate Participation in Africa’s Single Market

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Government of Burundi have agreed to develop a joint implementation roadmap to accelerate the country’s participation in Africa’s single market and unlock new opportunities for its private sector.

The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, and Burundi’s Minister of Trade, who led a delegation comprising the Permanent Secretary, the Director of External Trade, the Director of Industry, the Deputy Commissioner General of the Burundi Revenue Authority, and the Chairman of the Burundi Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

During the meeting, Mr. Mene provided an update on the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, highlighting the significant progress made in ratification across the continent and the various instruments introduced to enhance private sector participation in intra-African trade.

He also outlined the Secretariat’s efforts to strengthen regional value chains, particularly in agro-processing, promote the establishment of Special Economic Zones, and advance the digitalisation of strategic trade corridors through its partnership with African Export-Import Bank.

According to the AfCFTA Secretary-General, intra-African trade continues to record steady growth.“Intra-African trade increased by 12.4 percent in 2024, reaching a value of US$220 billion. While this demonstrates the growing impact of the AfCFTA, challenges such as high trade costs, inadequate transport connectivity and infrastructure deficits continue to limit the full potential of continental commerce,” he said.

Mr. Mene noted that Burundi is well positioned to deepen its participation in continental trade by leveraging its membership in both the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the East African Community.

He also encouraged the country to take advantage of key AfCFTA implementation instruments, including the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), to support national implementation efforts.“Burundi should identify priority financing needs that can be supported through the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund to facilitate the country’s implementation and enhance private sector competitiveness,” he added.

The Minister of Trade reaffirmed Burundi’s commitment to implementing the AfCFTA Agreement and said the country intends to use its current Chairmanship of the African Union to accelerate national implementation efforts.

He disclosed that Burundi has embarked on a series of macroeconomic and policy reforms aimed at improving the country’s business and investment environment.“Logistics and transport, supported by investments in energy and mining, have been identified as priority sectors for our economic transformation. We are also seeking to diversify export markets for key commodities such as tea and coffee while strengthening standards and compliance to improve market access across Africa,” the Minister stated.

The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to establish a joint technical team to develop a comprehensive country profile and a practical implementation roadmap. The roadmap will be jointly owned by the Government of Burundi and the country’s private sector and will serve as a strategic guide to maximize opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The initiative is expected to strengthen Burundi’s integration into Africa’s single market, enhance cross-border trade, and create new opportunities for businesses to benefit from the world’s largest free trade area by participating countries.