How can the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfcFTA) help develop regional value chains across Africa? An exploration

All African countries participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost intra-African trade to accelerate structural transformation. At the same time, increasing geopolitical tensions around the world are pressuring countries to ‘reshore’ by retreating from engagement in Global Value Chains (GVCs) towards Regional Value Chains (RVCs). High values for RVC indices would indicate that African exports have a high import content of intermediates originating in Africa and that exports destined to other African countries undergo further processing, an indication of structural transformation. [...]