The long Road towards Supply Chain Trade in Africa

The recent Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), in force since May 2019, is an important opportunity to developing and deepen supply chain trade across Africa. Evidence shows that integration into production networks-Global value Chains (GVCs) or Regional Value Chains (RVCs)-provides new opportunities for developing countries to participate in global trade and diversify their export baskets through hyperspecialisation in fragmented production processes. Without an ecosystem of supply chain trade, a country would have to be able to produce a complete product before entering a new line of business.