African policymakers and business leaders on Wednesday called for deeper regional integration and the removal of trade barriers to enhance commerce across the continent during the Africa Trade Conference 2026.
The one-day gathering, themed “Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa's Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact,” convened government officials, development institutions, investors, and business leaders to explore strategies for accelerating Africa’s participation in global trade while expanding intra-continental commerce.
Kennedy Mbekeani, Director General for Southern Africa at the African Development Bank, highlighted that recent global economic developments underscored the need for Africa to strengthen regional cooperation. He warned that the continent’s risk perception often discourages investment, sometimes intentionally. “They will continue to tell us that Africa is risky so that they can yield as much as they can from us,” he said.
During a panel discussion, Botswanan Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship Tiroeaone Ntsima emphasized the benefits of open borders and collaborative financing of cross-border infrastructure. He called for stronger coordination among neighboring countries and simplified trade routes and facilities to make it easier for businesses and people to move goods.
Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, highlighted fragmentation as a major obstacle to trade both within and between African countries. She stressed the importance of seamless data sharing between regions and agencies to reduce bottlenecks and improve efficiency.
Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade, and Industry, Chipoka Mulenga, echoed calls for stronger inter-African investment and trade ties. He noted that Regional Economic Communities (RECs), designed to eliminate trade barriers among member states, are often undermined by restrictions imposed by the countries themselves. “The RECs are not performing the way they're supposed to perform because we are coming up with non-tariff barriers deliberately to choke each other's trade,” he said.
Mulenga urged governments and businesses to prioritize cross-border investment and cooperation, advocating a model of complementarity rather than competition. “We need to encourage inter-country investment and business into business ... never compete against each other but complement each other,” he added.
The conference highlighted the growing consensus among African leaders that regional integration, collaborative infrastructure projects, and data-driven trade facilitation are key to unlocking the continent’s economic potential and boosting Africa’s role in global commerce.