Policy Insights 138 - Is the AfCFTA the ‘Game Changer’ for Africa?

2 ‘Statement by the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat.’ 2 Policy Insights 138 | IS THE AFCFTA THE ‘GAME CHANGER’ FOR AFRICA? ∙ What progress has been in the trade in goods and trade in services negotiations and offers, and what does this suggest about the likelihood of regional value chains (RVCs) being ex. [...] While the causes of low-quality growth are many and varied, and in the case of unemployment difficult to discern, the AfCFTA can be ‘an instrument of development’ in a number of ways Boosting productivity and trade in the agricultural sector Agriculture accounted for over 18% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP in 2020 and an estimated 53% of employment,8 and there is great potential for agricultural prod. [...] 17 Policy Insights 138 | IS THE AFCFTA THE ‘GAME CHANGER’ FOR AFRICA? the later stages of the value chain are liberalised and the free trade in soya cake will enable regional livestock feed value chains to develop more easily, most of the value addition to be captured in this section of the value chain is through the provision o. [...] The facility will also support the private sector in responding efficiently 21 Policy Insights 138 | IS THE AFCFTA THE ‘GAME CHANGER’ FOR AFRICA? to the opportunities and challenges associated with the agreement. [...] This illustrates the drive and vision behind the AfCFTA, notably the Afreximbank African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme (AACTGS), which aims to facilitate the seamless movement of goods across borders while reducing the costs of transit bonds as well as the time to import/export.37 Crucially, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) will back the clearing of cross-border payme.